Just Go With The Flow
by Adonai63
Summary: AU. Percy is living a double life and he has spent the sixteen years of his life living up to his family name, and he's planning to do just that for the rest of his life. That is until he meets the new student, Annabeth Chase. R&R.
1. Sophomore 1

Hey, guys. I'm starting a new story and this time, it's an AU. So, obviously this story is not connected to my others stories. I hope you like it.

**DISCLAIMER:** Make sure you guys notice this 'cause I'm going to do this just once in the whole story. I'm pretty much tired of putting this up every single time. I think once, or whatever number I've put this is enough. I do not own anything. Except the idea, of course.

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**Sophomore 1: New York. New Start. New Life.**

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_Riiinnnggg..._

Ugh! Stupid alarm clock. I kept my eyes shut and fumbled with the switch of the alarm clock right at my nightstand. It ended up falling on the floor, making more noise. I eventually found a way to shut the stupid alarm clock and let's just say it won't be ringing indefinitely. Note to self: Buy a new alarm clock. A digital one.

I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes, trying to remember why I've set the alarm at 6:00 in the morning. Oh yeah, the start of another school year.

Anyway, let's start from the beginning. My name is Perseus Jackson, but let's just go with Percy. Who wants to be called Perseus when you're just in high school? It sounds something like _Dude, you're a guinea pig!_ Sounds weird, right? I'm sure you'll agree with that.

Let's continue with my introduction. I'm sixteen and I'm starting my sophomore year this semester in Goode High School.

For normal teenagers, the first day of school is a big event in their lives. You know, you have everything prepared out a week ahead of time, making sure to make a good first impression. I don't get why people are hyped about it. I think it has something to do with earning your reputation. But like I've said since I started freshman year last year, _just go with the flow_.

Usually, the first year is a year of torture. Coming from a school of fish (School of fish, get it? Never mind.), you wander off into a sea of sharks. Or to be more appropriate, a sea of monsters. Either you get to be known as one of the cool kids, or just be branded as a nerd. Or if you're lucky, you'll just be ignored like you don't exist.

Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky to be ignored. And now you may be thinking, _Oh, Percy's a nerd_. No, I'm not. Thankfully (Note the sarcasm, please.), I'm branded as one of the cool kids.

Our family owns this big company called Olympus Enterprises. By family, I mean my father, Poseidon, and his two brothers, Zeus and Hades. Don't ask me why but our family, and sadly that also includes me, has this big obsession with Greek Mythology. Like I said, don't ask why, but I guess it runs in the blood.

I'll be honest, being the son of a rich businessman sure has its perks. But being famous isn't one of them. Maintaining an image isn't really my thing. Sometimes I wish that I was just an average kid. But alas, like how my whole life has been going so far, I don't really have control over my life and I pretty much have no choice. That's how I ended up having a motto: Just go with the flow.

"Oh, crap! Percy!" a voice shouted outside my room. That would be none other than my cousin, Nico. He's the son of my uncle Hades, and is also in my year.

Nico Di Angelo, an ignorant-dimwitted-foolish-dense-idiotic-dopey numbskull. And I'm telling you, that's no exaggeration. For a sixteen year old, he's very immature and extremely childish. He even has this weird fetish with the color black. You see where I'm getting at? If you thought of him as being an emo or a goth, cue weird buzzer sound. Enk! Wrong! He's not even any of the two. What I'm telling you is he's just plain weird.

Okay, so maybe I've exaggerated a little bit. I mean, if he was indeed like that, then he should be living in the shadows right now and can't be anywhere near my apartment. My apartment, my rules. That means no ignorant-dimwitted-foolish-dense-idiotic-dopey numbskulls. Which he is. Heh. I'm pretty sure I'm confusing you right now, so let's just move on.

"What!" I asked, annoyed at him for letting me step out of my ever sacred room.

"It's the sink. _Again_," he said, glaring at the monstrosity that is the sacrosanct sink. You see how silly he is? Glaring at an inanimate object?

I rolled my eyes and checked what's wrong. Again, don't ask how, but I'm somehow good with plumbing. Cool, right? The son of a bi- Okay, what are you thinking? I'm going to say biznessman, genius. And if you were wondering, I'm rolling my eyes.

As I was saying, the son of a businessman, a plumber. You see what I'm talking about maintaining a reputation? It just doesn't really fit me. That's why I just keep reminding myself.

_Just go with the flow. Go with the flow. The flow. Flow._

After a few minutes of meddling with the pipes with a few twist and turns. I finally found the problem.

"How did _this_ get in there?" I pulled the ick-ily disgusting soft round black blob.

"Oh, cool. I've been looking for that all day yesterday," he said, grabbing the atrocity that clogged the pipes.

"What the hell, Nic!"

"What? I had to clean my disc and I was too tired to grab the washcloth."

"So instead, you used your _sock?_ You were just too lazy," I said, getting up and sitting on a chair on the kitchen table. You see how weird he is? How would a sock even fit in the drain of the sink?

"What are you being all grumpy about?" he asked, messing with his shaggy black hair.

"Ugh!" I groaned while slamming my beloved head on the table. "I hate school."

"What? I know you don't love it but you didn't seem to mind last year." He grabbed an apple from the fridge and sat opposite me, staring at me with his dark eyes. I looked at him, hoping that it sent the message 'you know what I'm talking about'.

"Oh, right. You get to be the Rep. this year. The best running back in the history of Goode, afraid to be second year rep? C'mon, Perce. You're better than that," he said, munching the apple. Half of me was silently wishing that Queen Grimhilde poisoned his apple so he could just shut up in eternal slumber. Of course, half of me wasn't. That would just mean that my friend count would decrease. And right now, it's just three.

_Wow. Percy's a cool kid and he only has three friends. What's up with that?_ Well, let me tell you something. Like I've said, I only go with the flow. I actually have tons of friends and I even pretend to get along with a few of them. But in actuality, I only have three real friends.

Along with Nico, the only other students I do get along with at school is my other cousin, Thalia, and my best friend, Grover.

Thalia Grace, fifteen (turning sixteen in December) but also in my year, is the daughter of my other uncle, Zeus. Now, you may be wondering, _They're ages are close together._ Well, let me summarize for you. Three rich, young, and dashing businessmen + one wicked and out-of-control party = three pregnant mothers. I hope you get the point. If you don't, then don't ask.

Grover Underwood, also sixteen and also in my year, is my best friend since we were twelve. He used to live with his family in Springfield, that is until he decided to move in with his Uncle Leneus here in New York. We met in Yancy Academy, and let's just say the rest is history.

"Percy!" Nico shook me. I slowly lifted my head and glared at him. I didn't notice I managed to fall asleep. "We're going to be late. Let's get going if you want to keep this apartment."

Technically, this isn't my apartment. You see, my mother, Sally Jackson, is a single mom when she raised me up. My dad actually has someone else as his wife. So, in reality, I was an accident. But my dad loves me anyways and I know it. He just has a hard time showing it. Unlike his wife, Amy, doesn't have a hard time showing her feelings towards me. And she loves me _so _much (Sarcasm people.).

This apartment is where my mom raised me up and we've lived here for years. That is until she married my stepfather, Paul Blofis, and she moved with him. I love my mom and my dad a lot, and Paul is also pretty much way up there, too. He's a teacher in Goode High, and is my teacher in English last year, and will be my Drama teacher this year.

As I was saying, this isn't my apartment. It's my mom's. But when she moved in with Paul, and after a few "Don't forget your homeworks!", "Don't ever be late!", and "No parties!", she finally gave in and let me stay here.

When Nico found out, he convinced he's dad that he'll be good and he'll behave, which is mostly the opposite of what he's doing. It was with my mother's help that Hades agreed to let Nico stay with me. My mother and Hades don't really get along, but he likes my mom better than Amy. So, there you go.

"Yeah, yeah." I stood up and headed to the bathroom. I washed my face and stared at the image on the mirror.

"Just go with the flow. Just go with the flow," I muttered.

"Here goes nothing." Inhaling deeply, I wiped my face with a towel and stepped out.

"Let's go."

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"Annie!" a loud voice called. The young boy peeked through the door of the room. "Dad said you're going to be late."

"Sure, Matt. Tell dad I'm coming," the girl replied. She was dressed in a simple orange t-shirt and blue jeans. Her long blonde hair was tied in a simple ponytail with a few curls falling off on her face. She harshly shoved her things in her backpack and groaned.

_"Honey, I can't reject the offer. It's the project of the century!" a man around the age of forty said. He messed with his sandy-colored hair as he spoke, his brown eyes gleaming with wide interest._

_"Yeah, sure dad," the girl with curly blonde hair replied, her eyes not meeting his father's gaze._

_"Annabeth, you can start over in Manhattan. I'm sure you'll find something that will interest you. You'll make tons of new friends," her father, Frederick, stated._

_Annabeth sighed and hesitantly nodded, forcing a cheery smile. Her father grinned and started preparing for their move, not having any idea how his daughter's life has been, never making real friends in San Francisco. Sure, she does have people to hang out with, but they were just more like acquaintances than real friends. Even so, she will still miss them._

She inwardly sighed as she rubbed the tan skin of her arm. Staring outside her window, she thought, _New York. New start. New life_.

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**AN:** Review, review, review! I hope you guys noticed the connections and phrases I used based from the original series. I really do hope you guys liked it.

And start thinking of ideas people! I'll eventually need them since I haven't really thought of how the story will go.


	2. Sophomore 2

Thank you all for the amazing reviews! Who knew people are actually gonna like this story. Talk about pressure in keeping it up. LOL.

This chapter is a little jumpy and dragging. Sorry 'bout that. The thing is, I made four drafts just for this chapter and with those four, I still didn't manage to get how I wanted the chapter to be. I got tired of rewriting so I just went with this one. I just wanted to get over it. So, criticize on what you think of this. I know it's bad, but I hope you keep up with the story.

**The Fantasy Dreamer: **With one of my drafts, I actually tried to go for the embarrassing kind of meeting for them, but it didn't work out too well. Sorry. I hope you keep up with the story.

**percabeth777: **Thank you for the kind words and advice. I actually tried to make a dialogue for the first chapter 'cause it's pretty boring if it's just mainly his thoughts and him speaking to the reader. But I kinda had a hard time with it. But I'll try to improve my writing to include more dialogues starting from here.

**bewilder22: **This story is an AU. Alternate Universe. The same characters and I also try to include bits from the original series but the story is primarily a stand alone and has nothing to do with PJO. That means they're all human and not half-bloods/gods.

**Awesome one: **I tried to adapt your idea to the story but it didn't really go along pretty well. I really wanted to introduce Percy and Annabeth already at the start. So it has to happen now. Sorry, but I hope you keep giving ideas. I need them. :D

**tridentbonez313:** I'll try. You see, Nico's character here is a bit confusing, just like what Percy said. He's immature and childish but at the same time, he's not. I myself am confused, and I'm the one writing the story. ;p

**Wise Girl: **I'll try to put minimal amounts of it from chapter to chapter. The thing is, I want this story to be realistic, and that's the point of why I started this story. It will be long and Percabeth won't happen until probably around the end already.

**Nobody: **I can't believe it! Are you psychic? You like predicted every single thing I'm about to do in this chapter! LOL.

**filmyfurry, WannaBeWisegirl, Clara Fonteyn, Crazely Rejected, Mrs. Jordan Youngblood Powers, Sweetcars12: **Thank you for being one of my first reviewers. I hope you guys keep following the story.

Wow. That's a long AN. Maybe I'll minimize on later chapters. I just really wanted to honor you guys for being my first reviewers. And now, on with the story.

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**Sophomore 2: Just maybe.**

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"Okay, calm down. You can do this, Annabeth. Breathe in. Breathe out." Annabeth sighed. _Great. Now, I'm talking to myself._

"Annabeth Chase?" a male voice questioned. Annabeth entered the office and faced the principal sitting on his chair. She instantly loathed the old man as soon as her eyes fell on him. He was a small, sour looking man with a red nose and watery eyes. There was a shiny, bald patch in his curly black hair that glinted with a hint of purple. His mouth was set in a scowl but his eyes paid no attention. He looked like a middle-aged man who grew up in a trailer park that have no interests in life.

"Good morning, sir." Annabeth held out her hand but the principal just stared at it darkly and huffed.

"Ms. Chase, I'm your principal, Mr. Vinifera," he said darkly. Annabeth resisted the urge to glare at the porky man. "This is your timetable and homework diary. Here's a brochure and a planner, and I suppose you should also receive this honorary pen. Your homeroom will be room seventeen. Any questions?"

Yeah, how the hell did you end up as the principal if you're such a horrible person?

She shook her head in response and took a quick glance around the room. Certificates, trophies, a picture of his family. _He may be a nice person after all._ She thought. That is of course, before she saw the ever so wonderful calendar of beach bums.

"_Sexist pig,_" she muttered, covering the words with timely coughs.

"_Excuse_ me?" the principal growled.

"Nothing, sir," Annabeth replied politely, hiding a mischievous grin.

"Very well, move along then," he shooed her, giving her a look that said 'go on little girl, I have more important things to do like sit around here and do nothing'. She forced a smile and slipped out of the office.

Annabeth heard him mutter something like "Stupid brats" just as she got out. _Stupid sot_. She thought. Her attention was distracted and she ended up bumping into another old man.

"Sorry," she bowed apologetically.

"That's okay," the middle-aged man replied. "Ah, you must be the new student. I'm Mr. Brunner but you can just call me Chiron. I assume you've met Mr. D already."

Annabeth looked at the man. He had thinning brown hair and a scruffy beard, and he had a frayed tweed jacket on. His deep brown eyes showed a huge amount of mirth and he was smiling brightly. He looked like the complete opposite of Mr. Vinifera.

"Good morning, sir. Annabeth Chase," she said politely.

"Oh, no need to be so formal. I'm just the vice-principal," he chuckled. He looked like a very strict person but the way he talked sounded like he's a very easy going guy. Huh. Why is it that this nice old man is the vice-principal and that small, porky cherub is the principal. What's wrong with this school?

"So, what do you think of Goode High School? Does it satisfy your fancy?"

"Uh..." _Not really._

"Ah, yes, yes. It is your first day, so of course you still have no idea. How silly of me. Come. I shall give you a tour." Chiron led Annabeth out of the office and he guided her along the halls, introducing room after room. Goode High was pretty big for an average high school.

"Right here is the cafeteria. And down that hall would be none other than the gym. In the next building, you could also find the auditorium. And right outside that door would be the oval."

Annabeth was not fully paying attention to Chiron's tour because she was observing the students that passed by. Obnoxious-looking cheerleaders, feeling-cool jocks, brainy nerds, average outcasts. Definitely your normal high school.

She sighed. Her new life will probably be just like her past one.

"The bell will be ringing soon enough and I don't want you to be late for your first day. If you have any more questions, you can just visit me. Or you can check with your year representative. Oh, look. There he is." Chiron pointed at a young man with messy black hair and a light tan skin. He had toned muscles but not like uberbuffed, but slim and fit.

He was lying on his back against the lockers, talking to another guy. When he turned slightly, Annabeth finally caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were a shade of deep green with a hint of a bluish color like the sea. They were the kind of eyes that you feel like you're drowning in them because they're so deep.

"Well, I'd better get going. I still have to meet with Mr. D. I'll see you around, Annabeth. Oh, and uh, welcome to Goode High." Chiron walked away, leaving Annabeth with her thoughts along the corridors. Annabeth finally let go of the breath that she didn't notice she was holding.

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"Hey, Perce."

"Hey, G-man." I closed my locker and leaned against it. "'Sup?"

"Nothing really. Uncle Leneus just kept pestering me all week to make him salad." He started munching a stick of celery. That's Grover for you. Nature boy. With his goatee, and if he grew his curly brownish hair a little longer, he would pass as a hippie. He and his uncle Leneus are environmentalists. They also usually attend this rally where people teach others about how harmful Global Warming is.

"That sucks."

"Yeah. And sorry I didn't make it on movie night." He then started munching another stick of celery.

"That's alright. Thalia and Nico just went with their usual bickering anyways, and I just slept through it the whole time."

"Where are they anyway?" he asked.

"Don't know," I shrugged. "Nico disappeared as soon as we came in. As for Thalia, you know she'll be late." He nodded in agreement.

"So, did you hear the news? There's a new student in our year." He turned to looked at me, the stick of celery hanging from his mouth as he chewed. At that moment, Grover looked like a goat. Strange.

"Oh, yeah?" I replied, feigning interest. I mean, whoever he is, I do pity him for being a transfer student. Being a freshman is far better because you get to make an impression. When you're a transfer student, you don't get that chance and you get to be teased a lot. But I don't really care. Sure, I have to get to know him, being the rep and all. But I already have a lot on my mind, and getting to know him is nowhere near on the top of my list. "Who's the dude?"

"Wow. That's just sexist."

"Excuse me?" I got annoyed and turned around to face the speaker and... _Whoa!_

In front of me was a girl around my age, probably a couple of inches shorter. She was athletic looking, and I have to say, her beauty was what you would call natural, so much unlike the cheerleader type of girls who wore extreme layers of makeup. With her tanned skin and long curly blonde hair, she would have passed as a stereotypical California girl.

But what really caught my attention were her eyes. They were startling gray, like storm clouds brewing in the middle of the sea. The way they shimmered looked like she's analyzing how to take you down on the next football night. They were the kind of eyes where you just couldn't resist to get lost in. Pretty, but intimidating.

The way she held her posture -her hands on her hips, her pink lips in a flat line, her brows furrowed, her eyes boring a hole in me- you could say she's one of those independent and strong-minded kind of women. What's the word? Feminist.

From all of those things, do you know what the first thing came to my mind? _Princess curls._ Weird, right? I wonder what's wrong with me.

"I'm the 'new student'. And as you can see, I'm not a _dude_." Her voice brought me back to reality. It showed no bit of sweetness but it was still soft. It was not girly and cheery but very stern. But with all that, she still sounded like an angel.

"Oh. Sorry 'bout that." I subconsciously rubbed the back of my neck. She rolled her eyes, and for some unknown reason, my stomach made a thousand flips.

"Annabeth Chase." She held her hand out a little forcibly. Her face showed no emotion but I can see in her eyes that she was totally annoyed._ Ditto, my friend. Ditto._

"Jackson. Percy Jackson." _Now, I'm speaking in the way I'm thinking. What's going on?_ I heard Grover cough behind me and sputter. He must have choked on his celery.

I hesitantly shook her hand. You know that feeling when you get jolted by electricity when you insert a finger in a socket and you couldn't do anything but recoil? Trust me, I know. And if you don't, you should try it. I'm telling you, it's one heck of an experience.

As I was saying, the moment our skins touched, that was how I felt. But it was different. It was tantalizing and it was the kind of feeling like you can't just help but want more of it. Of course, as soon as I felt it, it also instantly passed. I'm not even sure if I really felt it or if it was just my mind making weird notions.

But the way her face contorted into wonder told me that she felt it, too. Huh. That's weird.

In reality, it was just for a few seconds. But it felt like eternity, like time stopped and we were just the only two people in that hall, holding each other's hand, awkwardly shaking. Of course the moment had to stop at some point. And it was ruined by none other than my cousin, Thalia.

"Annabeth? Annabeth Chase?"

"Thalia?" Annabeth avoided my gaze and looked above my shoulder. I held my gaze on her face for a few more moments before finally looking behind me.

"Oh my god! It is you!" Thalia rushed and tackled Annabeth in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, my dad got an offer to work on a project in a museum here in Manhattan. We eventually had to move because it's eating most of his time," Annabeth answered as they pulled away from the hug.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Thalia tried to frown, but she was mostly beaming.

"First of all, I don't have any contact to you. Second, I didn't know you went here." Hmm. Interesting. Thalia and this girl are getting along just fine. They continued chattering and I eventually lost interest in their conversation.

"Grover, how do they know each other?" I asked, turning slightly to him.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Maybe a long lost friend?"

"Isn't it weird? They're getting along just fine. Thalia even hugged her!" I whisper-shouted.

"I know! Thalia usually slaps every girl," he answered.

"I heard that!" Thalia snapped. Grover and I both forced a smile, but I was actually trembling in the inside, and I can feel Grover was, too. Nobody wants a pissed off Thalia.

"How did you guys meet?" Grover asked, trying to distract Thalia from strangling us to death. Thankfully, she bought it.

"We met at a girl scout jamboree a few years back," she informed us.

"She called me an idiot and slapped me on our first meet," Annabeth put in. Ah, of course. Like what Grover said, Thalia slaps every girl. And I really mean every girl. There was even this one time that she slapped a female pedestrian for no apparent reason. Well, she was PMS-ing then, but you get the point.

Thalia scowled. "I told you I was on my period." Annabeth laughed, and it was music to my ears, like a muse singing. Maybe you're asking, _Muse?_ Like I told you, we're obsessed with greek mythology. Get over it.

"Does that mean you're always on your period?" Grover teased. Uh-oh. Bad move. And Grover realized it too late.

Thalia smacked Grover on the top of his head and he ended up choking on his celery, _again._

"You okay, man?" I asked as Grover coughed and sputtered pieces of his celery. He nodded and I glared at Thalia. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Annabeth.

"If my cousin ever messes with you, just tell me and I'll make sure he won't bother you again." She then playfully punched me.

"Come on, Grover. We're going to be late for homeroom." Thalia grabbed Grover's hand and dragged him across the halls.

"Wait! I haven't finished my celeries yet! And my enchilada!" I heard Grover scream. I chuckled and shook my head. _Typical Grover_.

I turned back to my locker to grab my things, forgetting that there was still someone else there with me. She cleared her throat to get my attention and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked incredulously. Annabeth rolled her eyes. And there goes my stomach, doing flips again.

"You _are_ the second year rep, right? You're supposed to introduce me to my homeroom," Annabeth replied.

I groaned to myself. Even though it seems that I like her, she is still very annoying. And like she was reading my mind, she said, "Look. I don't like this as much as you do. So, let's just get this over with." _At least we agreed on something._

"_Fine. _What room?" I asked, irritated.

"Seventeen." I mentally slapped myself. _Just great_.

"You're in my homeroom. Come on." I walked ahead and I heard her groan behind me. Can this day get any more worse? You see that! I just said more worse. I hope you get the idea of how wrong this is.

We walked across the hall, and just as I turned around a corner, I bumped into Nico.

"Nic, where've you been?" I asked.

"Hide me," he whispered as he tried to hide behind my figure.

"What's wrong?"

"I just sabotaged Travis' and Connor's prank for the freshmen. They're looking for me." He cowered behind me as two figures with pink powder all over them passed in front of me. I silently snickered, trying my best to not get their attention.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked when the coast was finally clear.

"Revenge for what they did last year. They humiliated all freshies last year! And that would be none other than us." I nodded. Who could ever forget the firetruck incident during orientation.

"Wow, Nico. Who knew you could be so bold. My hero," I stated with my best impression of a damsel-in-distress voice, teasingly batting my eyelashes. He then took his best heroic posture and I laughed. Hey. We're two high school teenage boys. We can act immature anytime we want to.

We were laughing our butts off when Annabeth cleared her throat. We both straightened as Nico whispered, "Who's that?"

"_That_ is Annabeth. She's new and I have to show her around all day," I answered.

"First of all, I'm a person. So, don't refer to me as _that. _Secondly, you don't _have _to show me around all day. You only have to walk me to homeroom." Annabeth crossed her arms and glared at us. If looks could kill, we would've dropped dead right there and then.

"But I want to show you around. I can't just leave a helpless damsel on her own now, can I?" I teased.

"I don't need _you_ to show me around _all day_. And I'm not helpless!" She glared at me and trudged off.

"God, she's so annoying," I groaned. "I'll see you in Chemistry, man." I followed Annabeth, leaving a very confused Nico with the scene that just took place.

"Where are you going? Homeroom is that way." I pointed behind me as I stalked behind her. She ignored me so I continued. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Are you oblivious to the fact that I'm ditching you?" she hissed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I think you should ask yourself. _Sexist pig_," Annabeth accused.

"What's with you and sexist pigs?" I snapped.

"What's with you and helpless damsels?" she retorted.

"Ugh! You know what? You can go and look for our homeroom on your own! You can get lost for all I care!" I threw my hands in the air to emphasize.

"I hardly care if you walk to me to class or not! I can properly take care of my own! For your information, I'm just trying to cut down your job." I stopped dead at my tracks as she stormed off. That girl is so annoying! And the fact that she's right isn't really helping.

I sighed and followed her. "Okay, look. I'm just trying to help. Like you said, I don't like this as much as you do. Can we just... start over?"

This time, it was her turn to stop dead at her tracks and I had no choice but to follow suit. Jeez, why do I even try?

"_Fine,_" Annabeth mumbled.

"Really?" I blinked, bewildered that she was actually considering it. I mean, we just had the argument of the century. And it's just the first day! She sighed and nodded.

"Uh... cool." Cue awkward silence. We were just there standing awkwardly, our main interest on our feet.

"So..." I started. She looked up at me and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. I held my hand out, this time willingly. "Percy Jackson, not a sexist pig."

She took my hand and shook it. "Annabeth Chase, not a helpless damsel."

Maybe -just maybe- she's not so annoying after all.


	3. Sophomore 3

Wow, guys. I'm really touched by your kind words. But seriously, if you guys thought that the last chapter was good, great, or even excellent, then I'm pretty sure you will think this is nowhere near that. I assure you now that this one sucks.

Before I proceed, I just want to comment. No one noticed what I intended in Percy's line regarding his thoughts on Annabeth. Remember he thought _Whoa!_ then came the description and after that is him saying that his first thought was _Princess curls._ So, I wanted it to be something like _Whoa! Princess curls._ So, yeah. That's how it was supposed to be but no one got it. Too bad. I'm so bad in writing, for me not being able to pass that message.

Anyway, this chapter is actually just like an extension of the previous one. It's short and it's not even intended to be included in the story. I only made this chapter for two reasons. One, I wanted to adjust the ending of the last chapter. The other one is I'm having trouble in proceeding with the story and I need your help. And just to make sure I get your attention.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. MUST READ!**

**Awesome one: **Wow. I'm speechless. And that's coming from you. I mean, I'm your number one fan! I love your stories **A Twist in Time **and** Growing Up Together**. Seriously, I need your ideas. And I love that idea about the project! I never thought of it of them being forced to work together. Maybe something like their first quest together in the original series. Thank you!

**Clara Fonteyn: **Cool! If I have a hard time with Annabeth's character, I'm definitely running to you for help. Better be prepared. :D

**percabeth777: **Thank you for reviewing! You're like an awesome critic. And yeah, I was actually going for that. Percy describing Annabeth like in the book, but like you said, I guess it was too much indeed. It was sort of a carbon copy already. But I'm glad you still liked it.

**everyoneisMISunderstood: **You're right. I never thought of that. I'm really sorry. But what I meant for them were just purely descriptive. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

**Jordan Williams: **So I'm guessing that you're implying this is a good story. If it was what you meant, then thank you! And don't worry, I'll be finishing this one! But it will take a while. I'm planning to reach 50 chapters with this one! :D

**WannaBeWisegirl: **I can't believe you actually think it was still excellent. I mean, I really think I did a horrible job. Well, I think this chapter will get you to think that. And that part was meant to be that way! I'm glad you imagined the scene like how I wanted it to be. :D

**RCT Enthusiast: **I'm glad you like this, too. And I'm sorry about not updating **The Falling Stars **in a while. I kinda lost inspiration but don't worry, I just had the next chapter prepared and I'll probably put it up later this week. Again, I'm really sorry.

**Nobody: **I really think you're psychic. XD I'm glad I'm able to cheer you up some sort of way. Though I don't get why people think I'm any good with writing. I really think I suck. I actually do this to improve myself.

**filmyfurry, fieryodyssey, BlissfulDude, Holy Zeus, Sweetcars12, You Know Who, The Fantasy Dreamer, Crazely Rejected, dearanonymous: **Thank you for reviewing and keeping up with the story.

So, there. Wow. I think my AN is longer than the chapter itself. Well, I just really wanted to do this. For two reasons, _again. _One, with this sort of communication, maybe we can develop a relationship. A friendly one. Two, with the said development, we'll be able to communicate ideas better. Am I right? Or am I right? :D

Reminder: **IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. MUST READ!**

On with the story! Warning: Chapter Sucks!

* * *

**Sophomore 3: Moving on.**

* * *

Remember what I said about Annabeth not being annoying? Well, scratch that.

You see, she is definitely, undeniably, absolutely, for sure, no question about it, without doubt, utterly inconceivably, and any other word or phrase with that meaning very annoying.

Care to explain, you might ask. Well, let's backtrack.

* * *

"His first name is actually Dionysus. But it's mostly because he's a drunkard," I answered after Annabeth asked me why we called our principal Mr. D. Mr. D, get it? Mr. Drunkard? Never mind.

"More like an old sot," she scoffed and we laughed. I was walking her to our homeroom, and everything was going just fine. I found it very strange. I mean, a minute ago we were about to strangle each other to death. And now, we were practically getting along. Of course, I just had to mess up and ruin it.

"You know, you're not so annoying after all," I smirked as we stopped in front of our room. And I meant it, though I think she took it the wrong way. What's wrong with "You're not so annoying after all"? It's a compliment!

Annabeth placed her hands on her hips and gave me a look that said 'you are so not starting this again'. "At least I'm not an obnoxious selfish jerk."

I frowned. _Here we go again_. "I'm not selfish. If I was, I wouldn't be here right now wasting my time with you."

"Oh, really? Tell me. Did you willingly volunteer yourself to show me to homeroom?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes glinting with a sense of triumph. I hate this girl. Especially when she's right.

"I was willing enough to escort a know-it-all. That _counts_ for something."

"Well, you know what, it doesn't _count_ for anything. So next time, thanks, but no thanks."

"Well, you know what, I take back everything I said! No! I only take back about starting over! I meant what I said about you being an annoying know-it-all!" I shouted.

"Well, since I'm such a know-it-all, I'd like to inform you that I don't care!" she screamed at my face, her fists clenched in tight balls.

"Thank you for admitting that! And since you know everything, I don't need to tell you that I'm leaving you here!" By this time, we were both fuming and our faces were only a few inches apart. I could virtually count all her eyelashes.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Jackson!"

We both jumped in surprise. Now that's what you could call out of nowhere. We turned around to see Mr. Harper standing at the now-open door to our classroom. It was just then that I noticed that we were the only ones left in the halls.

"Classes have started minutes ago. What are you still doing out here?" he asked. _Crap!_ We were too busy shouting, we must've missed the bell ringing. That will give you an idea on how loud we were yelling at each other.

"I think you should ask her, Mr. Harper." I pointed to Annabeth who was glaring at me. If looks could indeed kill, and supposedly I should be dead because of the first one, then let's just say I've resurrected and come back to life, then I would have dropped dead again right there.

"You must be Annabeth. It's wonderful to meet you," Mr. Harper started. Yeah, right! He has no idea how _not_ wonderful meeting her is. And like she was reading my mind, she turned and glared at me. No point of telling you about me dropping dead and coming back to life, _again._

"But you are not doing a good job on making an impression on your first day." I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at Annabeth, so I went with a smirk.

"As for you Mr. Jackson. You are not doing a good job yourself on being the year representative." I frowned and it was Annabeth's turn to smirk.

"And I have also noticed that you two are not getting along pretty well," he continued. "I know what will help. One hour detention this afternoon."

"What!?" Annabeth and I screamed in unison. Mr. Harper is actually a nice guy, and I don't get why he's giving us detention. I mean, sure, we were late and we were trying to bite each other's head off. But still...

"But sir..." I started and Mr. Harper frowned. "I mean, it's not _my_ fault she's _so_ annoying."

"Look _who's_ talking," Annabeth put in, and so started another barrage of insults. I wasn't really paying attention to Mr. Harper but I noticed him rub his forehead like he was having a headache.

"Silence you two, unless you want detention for the rest of the week!" Mr. Harper began. He's the kind of guy who's not into shouting but he tried to be stern nonetheless. We both shut up as Mr. Harper continued. "That's better. Now, since homeroom is almost finished anyway, I think it would be better for the both of you to move on to your first class."

He smiled at us and entered back to the room, closing the door behind him and leaving us in the hallway.

* * *

So, here we are now, Annabeth and I, sitting at the back of our room waiting for our teacher and other classmates to arrive. So, yeah. Like I said, she's still very annoying. But after a simple conversation of "Thanks for getting me detention" and "I can get you one every single day if you want", we're back to getting along. Or at least trying to.

"Remind me again. Why do you hate me so much?" I asked. It actually intrigued me why we weren't getting along. We barely even know each other.

"How can I hate you when we've just met like about an hour ago," she replied with an irritated look. My point exactly.

"Could've fooled me," I said.

"Look... I just don't get along with boys," she put in simply while looking away. I'm not sure but it seemed like she was blushing.

"Yeah, I've noticed. I know you hate boys and all because you think they think-" I started.

"_They?_" She turned back to look at me with an amused look on her face.

"Okay. _We._ But that doesn't mean I'm like others who think of girls as things just to toy with," I finished. She didn't seem surprised by what I said though she seemed to be deep in thought.

"I know. You don't think the same as other men on the planet."

"So, remind me again. Why do you hate me so much?"

"Ugh!" she groaned and I couldn't help but chuckle. Her pain is my gain. Ooh. That's a good one. I should write that down.

After a few moments, Annabeth sighed and continued. "I don't know. I guess... it's because our personalities clash. It's just something we can't ignore and it will always be there. So, there you go."

"But that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"You want to be friends with _me_?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. I honestly don't know why that came out of my mouth. But now that I think about it...

"Yeah. Why not?" I shrugged. "I mean, you and Thalia get along just fine. And I can see you're unlike other girls who make boys think females are just things to toy with. So, there you go."

"But that doesn't mean we'll get along." She crossed her arms, expectantly waiting for my answer. She had that look that said 'you have one chance, better not mess up'.

"I don't mind. I think we can handle killing each other from time to time," I grinned and she smiled back. And I suppose that settles that. No starting over again or cheesy comments. Just moving on.

At that moment, our English teacher entered the room.

"Oh." She stopped as soon as she saw us. "I didn't expect students to be in this early. Especially on the first day."

"Sorry, Miss Lilah. We kinda got late for homeroom," I reasoned.

"I see. Well, it's nice to see you in class early for a change, Mr. Jackson," she smiled. I felt my cheeks flare up as I scratched the back of my neck. Last year, there was no school day I wasn't late in. This year though, I have a responsibility. And like what she said, it's nice to be early for a change. Maybe this year will be different. It'll be nice to be different for a change.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" Miss Lilah asked, turning to smile at Annabeth. _Lovely?_

I smirked, and as if Annabeth was reading my mind, she threw me a glare before turning to Miss Lilah. "I'm a new student. Annabeth Chase."

"It's nice to meet you, Annabeth," Miss Lilah said kindly. "And you have a good choice in friends. Percy here will look out for you."

"He's been wonderful," Annabeth smiled, but I could see that it was a fake one, and I don't know how, but I somehow knew that she was inwardly swearing a million times a second. I should be freaking out right now on how it seemed we can read each other's mind. But by the way how things were going for me the past hour, I think I can expect more things far worse.

Ms. Lilah smiled at us once more before walking out, leaving her things on the table.

"Wonderful? You didn't mean that, did you?" I asked.

"Of course not," Annabeth smiled.

"Good. I prefer awesome," I smirked, leaning on my chair. Annabeth rolled her eyes before turning to her bag and bringing out a book. Hmm. Architecture.

* * *

**AN:** There! It sucks, right? And pretty pointless, too. But what I really wanted to adjust was that with the previous ending, Percy and Annabeth kinda ended up with a _we're-getting-along-but-we're-not-friends _kind of relationship and I wanted to change that into something like _we're-friends-but-we-don't-get-along._

Oh, and did you guys like their conversation? I mean, sure the chapter sucks overall, but I think I did a good job on their conversation. I think it was cute. Exchanging words, and using each other's terms. :D

**IMPORTANT NOTICE! MUST READ!**

So, yeah. Like I said, I'm having trouble with continuing with the story. No, I'm not stopping. I'm having trouble with one of the characters so I want to know what you guys want. And seriously, even the random readers, I need you guys to tell me. Just one word will do. Here it is.

Do you guys want Rachel to be bitchy or to be in character like in the books? Tell me! I'll update as soon as I get enough opinions from you guys.


	4. Sophomore 4

You know what guys? I think I'm in love with all of you. Yuck! But seriously, I really think I am. Thanks for all the comforting words, and I guess I really should stop with the 'discriminating myself' thing.

Before we proceed, I'd like to announce the result of the poll.

IC: 12, Bitchy: 9, Not sure: 1 (LOL. **percysqueen101**)

So, yeah. It was pretty close. I still had a little trouble on what to do with Rachel's character, but for now, I suppose I'll be sticking with her being IC. But I won't be introducing her just yet. Because an idea hit me when some of you said that you wanted a bitchy character to mess with Percy and Annabeth. So, that's what I'll be doing, but instead of Rachel, another character. And I'm pretty sure you'll recognize the name. :D

**filmyfurry: **Actually, I still have no idea how to fit in their nicknames in the story. So, I'll try to put it up when it hits me. :D

**Sweetcars12:** Thanks for that idea! I totally forgot about Montauk. I'll definitely fit that in. As for Kronos, I don't know if I'll be able to have him make an appearance, but there are some references to him especially in this chapter. And Luke, well, Luke will be a primary catalyst and he'll be in the story later on.

**You Know Who: **I still don't know who you are. ;p

**Nobody: **Thank you for saying that all my stories are amazing, though I doubt I can agree with that. But still, thanks! And since IC Rachel won, like what you said, I think I'll be waiting to introduce Rachel later on in the story when Percy and Annabeth are closer, just like in the books.

**sonofposeidon1995: **I agree! It was a total let down, but I did put a warning that it was going to suck. Like WWE. ;p

**Awesome one: **We already had that conversation. So, yeah. Here's the result. I hope you'll still like it. Oh, and BTW. I noticed you had a question in your last review that I didn't answer. Were you referring to Silena? If you are, then she'll be in the story. Actually, I'll find a way to put EVERYONE in. :D

**IamAbotticelli: **I'm not sure about them having a catfight, but I'll definitely be putting up a fight between them. I hope you'll still like the story even though Rachel is IC and not bitchy.

**Alex: **I'm sorry, but Rachel won't be bitchy. Or at least for now, I think I won't have her as bitchy. I'll try to adapt her in a way that she may seem bitchy but actually isn't. I hope you'll still like the story.

**Clara Fonteyn: **Sorry, but I guess I'll be sticking with IC Rachel, though I think I can try to adapt her character in a way that she's sort of bitchy but is actually not. I'll see what I can do since she won't be introduced for now. And I totally get your point. Sorry if I made it seem that all feminists hate guys. Just to clear things, it was sort of a 'hate' for Annabeth because along with 'not-getting-along-with-boys', there's also that clash between Percy's and her characteristics, that's why it was a 'hate'.

**charmy glee: **I don't think you're a random reader. And you did review anyway, so technically, you're not. I wish I was still 13 like you. There's still so much room for improvement. :D

**AMAZEINGGIRL: **FF can't process your name right. I wonder why. Anyway, I think I'll stick with your idea, about Rachel being in character but at the same time giving the cold shoulder. Thanks for that idea. And about Luke, you totally read my mind. I was planning to put him as an upperclassman, like you said, no one can resist that kind of charm. And in the story, not even Annabeth. I think you'll be glad when that time finally comes. :D

**RCT Enthusiast: **I still can't get any inspiration! I hate it! I already have this idea in my head on how I want the chapter to be, but I can't seem to write it in a good way. I'm kinda stuck halfway through. *sigh* I'll try to put it up as soon as I finish it completely. Thanks for keeping up with this one though.

**I like this story: **I like your name. LOL. Anyway, your idea is actually somewhat right. In a way, that's how I'm planning the story to go. You're like a total mind reader. Are you **Nobody**'s sibling or something? :D

**WannaBeWisegirl: **I totally took your suggestion! And you're absolutely right. I took my time with this one and I actually love the result. Thanks! Oh, and BTW. You are a wise girl. Not some wannabe. :D

**Iknowwathyoudidlastsummer: **I'll try to update **The Falling Stars **later on. I'm really sorry if I keep you guys waiting. I just have this idea in my head but I can't seem to write it properly. I'm still stuck with a draft.

**everyoneisMISunderstood: **What? Why do people make fun of people making a cheer? Don't they get the point that it's supposed to cheer them and not make them nag. Even though I'm a guy, I'm sort of a cheerer myself. Well, a dancer actually. But pretty close. :D

**Athena Forever: **I'm seriously hoping you were making a vote and you were not referring to me. LOL. :D

**percabeth777: **Wow. Long review indeed. And it makes me so happy. Thanks for the awesome advice. In regard to the fast development of Percabeth, it's sort of in a friendship kind of way and not in a romantic way. I'm trying to keep in track just like in the books.

**Puffin0997: **You know what, that's my motto now. 'You are your worst critic' - **Puffin0997**'s dad. LOL. Thanks. :D

**naturaleaderofthesuperteens: **I'm glad you're interested. I'll be sticking with IC Rachel, so I'll hope you like it. Though I won't be introducing her just yet.

**percysqueen101: **I'm glad you voiced out your opinion of not being sure. I really like that. I hope you follow the story.

**Anna145: **I know what you're talking about, though for me I think it's a little bit too late for improvement. And your stuff aren't too depressing, I actually like how you are able to put in humor in a very angst-y fic like **Somewhere in Time**. :D

**HarryPercyEragonJosh: **I hate it, too. But I somehow feel like I have to adapt to the readers' liking. Though I'm still glad that IC Rachel won. :D

**gvethegrlapen: **Wow. Your name's hard to spell. LOL. I'm glad you tried this one and I'm also glad you noticed those. And yes, Amy is short for Amphitrite. It just seems weird to have that name, you know. Poseidon, Hades, Zeus are kinda okay. But Amphitrite is pretty overboard for normal.

**karmabear2050: **I love that! I am so going to put that in. Oh, and thanks for reading. :D

WOW. Just wow. This is the longest AN I have ever made. But as a reward to you guys, I've also written the longest chapter yet! So cool! Thanks for all the encouragement!

I also need some random conversation topics. And I'd still like to hear any ideas you guys have. Lastly, tell me what you think of this chapter and I would also love some criticism.

A little bit of warning. I've tried to put in slight humor and I tried to make the chapter seem a little light, but overall, it's going to be serious. This chapter will deal with a little more insight on the characters' backgrounds. Oh, and the introduction of a few new characters. I hope you like it.

* * *

**Sophomore 4: The incident.**

* * *

Annabeth had to admit, Percy was very different to what she first thought of him. He wasn't like the usual jocks who always hogged all the attention and loved it when they have girls dropping to their knees and kissing their feet. She couldn't find the right word, and that's saying something. The feeling was sort of... refreshing. To be with someone different. Different in a good way. In fact, different in the _right _way.

When he walked her across the halls from room to room, everywhere they passed, girls swooned and made goo-goo eyes at him. And Percy being as oblivious as ever, either didn't notice them or he purposefully ignored them._ Maybe he isn't so sexist after all._ Annabeth thought.

In spite of him being popular, he didn't like the attention and he acted like he wanted to be anyone else other than himself. This made Annabeth wonder, and that's what's frustrating. She never _wondered._ She's supposed to _know. _Because she's Annabeth Chase.

She's smart and intelligent altogether. She knows all of her capabilities and she's pleased with all the things she's able to do with her abilities. She knows how to hypothesize and she knows what conclusion to make out of them. Because she's Annabeth Chase.

She's stubborn. And she's so stubborn that she doesn't want to admit to herself the fact that she is indeed stubborn to ignore something so preposterous as being stubborn. Because she's Annabeth Chase.

Despite her being stubborn, she's honest enough to admit willingly that she doesn't know everything. She's knows her limitations and she has her own weaknesses, because she's still just human. She's proud and she knows well enough that her pride might cause her downfall sooner or later, but she doesn't care. At least for now. Because she's Annabeth Chase.

She's a very perceptive and observant person, and she knows how to read her surroundings, even people's actions and emotions. But dare she say it, Percy is one heck of an interesting person. And she's going to find out why he's like that. Because she's Annabeth Chase.

But for now, she's going to the cafeteria to eat for lunch break. Because she's Annabeth Chase. And because she's hungry. No one can think properly with an empty stomach.

Nico slipped in and sat next to Grover at their usual table in the cafeteria, watching students bustling around. It was lunchtime and students have filled in every other table with their own companions and friends.

"Where's Percy?" Nico asked as he set his tray on the table. He looked around for his cousin to no avail.

"I don't know," Grover shrugged, munching a piece of apple. "Last I saw him was before homeroom. Didn't you have Chemistry together?"

"We did. But he left as soon as class ended. I think he's giving that new girl a tour."

"Annabeth?" Grover asked, remembering the name of the new student.

"You've met her?" Nico asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Before homeroom. Thalia and her are like close friends. Oh, look. There she is." Grover waved his hand high in the air to get Annabeth's attention. She was standing by the doorway with her tray of food, looking around.

"Dude, what are you doing!" Nico whisper-shouted, trying to lower Grover's hand, but failing miserably. "She's one temperamental chick! No wonder Thalia gets along with her."

"What are you talking about?" Grover asked, but he kept his hand in the air. He didn't mind Annabeth sitting with them. He wanted to get to know her because other than her cousin Bianca, Nico's sister, Thalia rarely has female friends. And by rarely, he means none.

Annabeth finally caught a glimpse of the brown-haired boy waving his hand. She recognized him from earlier this morning as the goat-looking guy Percy was talking to. She shook the thought out of her mind. _What's wrong with you._

She noticed that he was sitting with another boy with shaggy black hair and olive skin. She also recognized him from earlier this morning. He was the emo-looking boy Percy was acting goofy with, but Annabeth being analytical, instantly understood that he wasn't an emo. He only seemed like one because he had a very deep fetish for the color black. What were their names? Grover and Nico.

She hesitated for a moment in joining them, taking note of the possibility that she may not like them. But she inwardly shrugged. _No harm in trying. _She thought. They were Percy's friends anyway, and maybe Thalia's, too. That's all the assurance she needs.

Nico and Grover watched her approach, slowly making her way through the sea of students, or sea of monsters as Percy would say.

"She was arguing with Percy earlier. And Percy was pretty pissed with her." Nico made sure the movement of his lips was not noticeable as he kept a smile on his face.

"Don't mind them. You know how Percy is with girls. And I think she's nice." Grover rushed his words, forcing a smile as Annabeth drew nearer. He stood up from his seat for introductions. "Hi! Annabeth, right?"

Annabeth nodded. She simultaneously gazed at the both of them and smiled. "And it's Grover and Nico, right?"

Grover and Nico genuinely smiled this time. No one usually remembers their names and they were touched that a new student like Annabeth remembered despite not being introduced properly. They weren't popular like Percy, and people questioned why he usually hung out with 'losers' like them. And Percy being the great friend that he is, defends them every single time.

Nico mentally congratulated Grover for being right. And like they were telepathically communicating, Grover understood and he inwardly patted himself on the shoulder.

Annabeth sat opposite both of them and they started a simple conversation about the first day of school. She found it easy to get along with them. When you get past their obnoxiousness and silliness, they were actually fun to hang out with. Just like Percy.

Her thoughts then wandered to Percy. She wondered how it was possible for people to be friends with someone they barely knew. Percy, as much as she didn't want to admit, was easy to be with, despite the fact that he's very annoying. In fact, she was comfortable with him, period.

That kind of sudden development has happened with only one other person before. Thalia._ It's probably because they're related._ She tried to convince herself.

Annabeth remembered the first time she met Thalia a few years ago. She chuckled lightly at the thought of being called an idiot and being slapped by a young girl for no apparent reason. And just like that, they were already friends. She wondered to herself of how ironic it is to be smart and to have a friend who calls you an idiot. That's Thalia for you.

They've gone to jamborees and camps together for a few years, and they've kept in touch ever since. That is until they both entered high school last year. And it's like The Fates brought them together again. _It really is a small world after all._ She thought.

"Doesn't Thalia hang out with you guys?" Annabeth asked, finding it odd that her friend was missing.

"Yeah, but not during lunch. She's like M-I-A almost all the time, and we have no idea why," Nico answered. Annabeth simply nodded, playing with her food. She looked disgustingly at the green substance, and as smart as she is, she had no idea what it was. Even though she was hungry, she was never putting that abomination into her mouth.

"Look! There's Percy!" Grover exclaimed. He was about to call for him but Nico stopped him.

"Wait! Code Blue-B," Nico said and Grover grimaced. Annabeth raised her eyebrows questioningly and looked in the direction Nico was pointing his finger. Percy was walking towards the cafeteria through the open doorway with a red-haired girl right behind his heels. Percy was practically showing that he was annoyed but the girl looked like she had no clue.

"Code Blue-B?" Annabeth asked as they watched the scene that was unfolding. The girl was pestering Percy and he just kept on ignoring her. Annabeth wondered why he was annoyed with her. By the looks of it, with her white tank top and pink skirt, the girl was what boys would call... hot.

"Yup. Bessie the Lunatic Unintelligent Emotional Bimbo," Nico said proudly, so Annabeth assumed he was the one who made that up. She laughed lightly, shaking her head, while Grover rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Bessie asked Percy. She was pouting thinking that it would make him give in. Little did she know it just annoyed him even more. Why couldn't she get a hint?

"Yes," Percy replied, irritated. "I'm sorry, but we have practice then."

"Oh, okay. Maybe next time," Bessie said. "So, do you want to sit with us?"

"Uhm… no. I'd like to sit with my friends," Percy replied. Bessie looked over Percy's shoulder and noticed his usual companions at their table. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw them with a girl that was_ not_ his cousin Thalia.

"Oh... Well, alright then. I'll see you around, Jackson," she said icily. Percy suppressed the urge to laugh that she was angered. He loved it when she was mad. It meant she won't be talking to him for a while. That gives him one day of peace.

Percy went to get his own set of food and then joined his friends at their table. "Hey, guys."

"How did it go?" Grover asked curiously.

"Great. She's mad thanks to Annabeth." He sat next to Annabeth and smirked. "That gives us one day with no Bessie." Grover and Nico cheered like two-year olds.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Grover took the initiative to explain. He leaned forward, placing his palms on top of the table like he was sharing a top secret information. "Bessie is like Percy's personal stalker. She asks him out everyday, and when I say _everyday_, I really mean _everyday_."

"She even calls on sundays. Talk about desperation," Nico added.

"She likes to claim Percy is all hers. I'm pretty sure she's mad because he's hanging out with you instead of her," Grover finished.

"You should permanently hang out with us. That means no Bessie everyday," Nico put in, giving Grover a high five. "Thalia has slapped her like a million times and she still doesn't get the message. Annabeth, you are the answer to our prayers!"

Annabeth laughed and turned to Percy. "Wow. Who knew you had such a die-hard fan. I guess you owe me," she smirked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"You know, depending on the state law, she can be charged guilty of second degree harassment. I don't know how it is here, but in California, harassment means a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that annoys, torments, or terrorizes the person with no legitimate purpose." Annabeth explained all of this in a matter of seconds and Grover and Nico just stared at her open-mouthed. Flies were literally entering and leaving their mouths.

Percy, on the other hand, was already aware that Annabeth was smart and intelligent like the goddess of wisdom herself. He laughed at the sight of his two dumbfounded friends. "Let's just eat."

* * *

I love this day! I love detention! I love running around the football field completely naked with the words 'The end is here!' written on my chest!

Don't ask me where I got the last one from. Blocking disturbing mental image... Anyway, did any of you pick up the sarcasm there? Because if you didn't, you're one downright idiot like Nico. I mean seriously, whoever agrees to a dare to sing 'Barbie Girl' even if the reward was a hundred dollars. Okay, I'm just mad because I lost a hundred dollars, but still. Blocking another disturbing mental image of Nico singing wearing a pink shirt with a picture of Barbie... Let's just move on.

I'm currently here, confined inside the four walls of detention with Annabeth and the Stoll twins. It's no surprise that Travis and Connor are here. Detention is pretty much already on their class list. As for Annabeth, she said it was a first. At least I may come across as special to have caused her her first time. Oh, wait. That didn't come out right. And me? Well, let's just say I've been here a couple of times. Let's not get into specific numbers.

Mr. Nunley, the one supervising detention, is seated in front of the class, reading Sports Illustrated at his little desk. He's like about a million years old, with bifocals and no teeth and greasy gray hair. He reminds me of Imhotep from The Mummy when he's still reforming. Except Mr. Nunley looks a lot older and he doesn't have awesome witch craft powers.

Annabeth is seated on a chair a little to my left, reading her very big hardbound book of Architecture. I haven't asked her yet about it, but it doesn't take a smarty like her to fit in the puzzle pieces that she is into Architecture.

In front of me, the Stoll twins moved their chairs a little closer to me, Travis to my left and Connor to my right. They started to fill me in with their new well-thought, skillfully-planned, expertly-formulated, make-Mr.-D-scream-like-a-girl scheme. I kept nodding to everything they said, but in reality, I wasn't fully paying attention. I just watched their mouths move as I thought of what we'll have for dinner tonight.

"Blah-blah, blah, blah blah blah, blah!" Cue nod here. _I was thinking pizza. Nah. We just had them for movie night last friday._

"Blah blah blah, blah-blah, blah! Blah-blah!" Cue another nod here. _Maybe chinese? I think I'd like some fried rice for a change._

"Blah, blah, blah! Blah-blah blah! Blah blah!" They were making hand gestures now so I just forced my face with a stunned expression and smiled._ I got it! Chicken wings! Ahh… Chicken wings…_ I nodded to myself in self-agreement.

"Percy! Are you even listening?" Travis asked.

"Uh, yeah. You're going to put a timed fart bomb inside the system that connects the air vents," I answered. Both of them were smiling but then they frowned. Oops.

"No. We already finished talking about that like two minutes ago," Connor said.

"We just asked you how's football practice coming. The season is about to start two weeks from now," Travis explained.

"It's okay, I guess," I shrugged. I don't really have any idea what the team's shape is right now. I haven't joined them in any session for practice this summer ever since that... incident. I asked coach to excuse me and I'm glad he sort of understands even though he has no idea why. Of course these two just had to remind me of it somehow.

"How's Tony?" Connor asked. I flinched at the mention of his name. I'm sure both of them didn't notice, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Annabeth raise an eyebrow. I don't know how she does it, but she's able to read me like a book. Of course not like the one she's holding, but you get the idea.

I shrugged in response, ignoring the shuddering feeling running down my spine. Thankfully, they finally caught the message that I didn't want to talk, so they moved back to their original spots and started talking to themselves.

Now, you may be asking, _Who's Tony?_ Well, I guess I can tell you the story. Better buckle up and grab a popcorn 'cause this is going to be a long one.

Tony, short for Triton, is my older half-brother. Eighteen years old, son of Mr. and Mrs. Poseidon Brine, rightful heir to my father's business and properties, star quarterback of Goode High.

I used to look up to him ever since I was a kid. He even treated me like we came from the same womb. He chased all the bullies I faced during middle school. He taught me how to drive even though I'm still not of the right age. He was even the one who made it possible for me to join the football team even if I was still just a freshman then.

But of course, because we're only half-brothers, something's bound to happen sooner or later. That's when last year happened. But before we proceed to that, let's start from the very beginning.

My father, along with his brothers, are the sons of a clocksmith, my grandfather, he-who-must-not-be-named. Our family has this strange rule not to mention his name and like if we did, he might suddenly appear out of thin air. So let's just go with Father Time because they look a lot like each other.

One day, our grandmother Rhea whom we've never met, died, and Father Time became delusional. He went havoc, saying things like "Help me rise!" and "I will bring down the gods!". When my father told me this story, he used a very deep voice to impersonate him. It was actually sort of funny. And he also explained that Father Time was referring to the Greek gods. Now that I think about it, I think our obsessiveness with Greek Mythology came from Father Time. I just hope the coo-coo-ness does not run in the blood.

Anyway, during that time, our fathers were still in high school. Specifically, Goode High. Being in high school, losing your mother and having a nutcase for a father is pretty hard. You've already lost someone so dear and you also end up getting teased. That's what inspired our fathers to strive hard and become rich businessmen. But that has nothing to do with the story.

When they finally went to college, graduated, established a business, got rich, got married, had children, and lived happily ever after, Father Time, with no one to take care of him, finally ended up at a psych ward. That is where he is until now. My father, Poseidon, along with uncle Hades and uncle Zeus, decided to not take after their father's surname, cutting off any connection they had with him. So they've arranged papers to take the surnames of their wives: Amy Brine, Maria Di Angelo, and Hera Grace.

And that's where we come in. Our parents let us study here in Goode High instead of a private school for children of rich people. Personally, I like it here a lot better than some school for spoiled rich juvenile delinquents who just couldn't get enough of bragging about their new X-box 360 and how they get to drive their daddy's Porsche anytime they want. Okay, so maybe I'm just a little jealous. But I will still never ever want to hang out with rich brats.

As I was saying, our fathers wanted us to make a name for our family here, as retribution to what happened to them during their high school. Of course, we have no choice but to obey. And we pretty much have no problem on doing so. But with me and Tony, it's a different story. Well, at least for me, it is different. I'm the only one who's... an accident. I think I'm what you could call a half-blood.

Now, let's proceed to the... incident.

It was the last game of the season and the scores were tied at 7-7. It was a championship game and those were just the scores. I hope you get the idea that the game was very tight. And like in the movies, it just had to come to our very last down in the final seconds.

I was already known for being the fastest runner in the whole league even though it was just my first year. But during that game, it looked like they just knew every play we went with. We were struggling all game with offense. The other team's defense players were like super-buffed and super-fast. Rushing was out of the question, so we went with a forward pass. Everything was planned out and we were ready to set the play in motion. That's when all hell broke loose.

Just as the ball was snapped to Tony, our receivers instantly got knocked down, and it was just a matter of milliseconds before the other team's defense caught up to him, too. As for me, I was too stunned that the play went wrong, I just stood there right behind Tony, watching all the chaos. You may be thinking now, _So that's what he did wrong. _No. The story's far from over.

As a snap decision, Tony had no choice but to pass me the ball just in time as he got tackled. It all happened so fast, I almost dropped the ball. I jumped to avoid a linebacker coming at me and I started running of course, with the ball still fumbling in my hands. It felt like the weight of the sky was on my shoulders. Time seemed to slow down and it was like I was running like a glacier. I could easily watch the defensive backs chasing after me and one cornerback just about to take me down. During those moments, I thought of Dory's song from Finding Nemo. Yes, I'm weird like that. Get over it.

_Just keep running. Just keep running. Just keep running, running, running._ I sang to myself. Who knew it was effective. And the next thing I knew, I was already pass the end zone, the crowd on our side was cheering, everybody was rushing to me, and my teammates have lifted me on their shoulders. I was still high from all the time-slowing-down and running-to-spare-my-butt experience, I wasn't able to process instantly everything that happened. But when it finally hit me, it was an amazing feeling. To be treated like a hero, everyone shouting your name, and you feel like you're a king. It was just a magnificent and glorious feeling.

After the game, my father hosted a party at their mansion a few miles outside the city. Other than the Stoll brothers spiking the punch with Vodka, resulting in a very drunk crowd including my father who sang 'If U Seek Amy' (How appropriate.), the party was pretty low-key, but it was still fun. That is before everything went downhill.

Sometime during the party, Tony took me out for a drive. I tried to convince him not to because he was pretty wasted but he kept on insisting anyway so I gave in. I mean, what could possibly go wrong aside from getting totaled against a tree resulting in our untimely deaths.

We were somewhere in Long Island when we suddenly took a stop. We were just completely silent the whole time, except for the rapid breaths he was having and the hard pounding of my heart. For some reason, I already had a gut feeling of what was about to happen but I just ignored it. Now, I wish I didn't.

He stepped out all of the sudden and insisted that I did, too. We stood in front of his black Ford Focus, the headlights blaring brightly. Before I could ask him why, it happened. After a little game I liked to call _Beat the crap out of Percy_, he left me there helplessly. I wasn't really badly beaten, but the beating was enough to send the message, _You got all the attention and now you'll get it._

I was able to call for Nico, Grover, and Thalia to come and get me. When they picked me up, they told me Tony made up some kind of excuse that I got sick because of the punch and that he took me back to the apartment. If you analyze it deeper, he was somehow telling the truth. I did get sick because of the punch. And if you still don't get it, I'll give you a hint. I'm not talking about the juice.

Until now, it's just the five of us who knows of that incident. But you're one of us now.

After a few days, Tony finally got the courage to face me, and it was actually a very emotional heart-to-heart talk between the two of us. But to keep my image, I'm not going to admit to you that we cried and hugged like two teenage girls who just found out that the other didn't intentionally kiss the other's boyfriend.

I understood that he was mad because he felt like I stole everything that was supposed to be his, especially getting the attention of our father. And being mixed in with getting drunk, he just lost all control. I did understand and I did forgive him, but that was a scar in my life that I will never forget.

And now, back to the present. With him being a senior, he's busy with practice to get the attention of scouts. As for me, I just have to make sure that the spotlight is on him and avoid any repeat of what happened.

We still spend some brotherly bonding from time to time, along with our younger brother Tyson. But our relationship has been strained because of the incident. It bore a big hole, and it's just something that can't be easily ignored, even if we try pretending it never happened.

The End.

_Wow, Percy. Who knew you could be so sentimental._ Of course I can be sentimental. I can do whatever I want to. Except be myself that is. Sometimes I wonder why my father still needs me. He already has Tony to do all the living-up-to-the-family-name job. If he would have just disowned me, none of these would have ever happened.

_You, Percy, are my favorite son._ His voice kept echoing in my head. I inwardly sighed. Why does my life have to be so hard? Why me? Seriously, I'm asking you. Why me? No answer? Exactly my point! There's no reason why this should be happening to me. What have I ever done wrong? Other than the mischievous pranks I've committed of course. I mean, those have nothing to do with life. Unless life itself is the biggest prank ever.

Right now, it just feels like the greatest prank is being pulled on my life, when life itself is a prank already. Do you see where I'm getting at?

"Percy." Annabeth's voice took me out of my reverie.

"Sorry. What is it?" I replied.

She rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said 'something's seriously wrong with you'. _You have no idea_. Oh, wait. She does have an idea since she did give me that look. "Detention's over. I don't really mind leaving you here, but Mr. Nunley told me to make sure the door gets locked when we leave. And I can't do that if you're still here."

I nodded in understanding. I looked around the room, finally noticing that it was no longer stolen. Get it? Stoll-en? Because the Stoll twins are no longer here? Never mind.

We walked out of the room and locked the door behind us. The halls were already empty, and I'm pretty sure the whole school is already, too. The only one who's probably left inside here along with us is Argus, the janitor/bus-driver.

We walked along the hallway in silence. I couldn't place my finger on how to describe it. It wasn't comfortable but at the same time it wasn't awkward either.

"So, how was your first day?" I asked, breaking the not-comfortable-but-not-awkward silence.

"It was okay," Annabeth replied. "Thanks for today, I guess."

"You guess?" I smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be sure about everything Ms. I'm-sure-so-don't-keep-asking-me-and-just-answer-her-question-already?"

"That was during English. That's completely unrelated," she protested.

"Then explain it to me."

"Well, first of all, _that _had something to do with _facts_. As for today, you did help me but I'm not entirely sure if I should be thankful that you got me detention, though it does feel kind of nice to experience new things from time to time."

"You're welcome," I smiled and she smiled back. "If you stick with me, you'll experience a lot more than just detention."

"I'll think about it."

"I'll take that as a yes."


	5. Sophomore 5

Hey, guys. Sorry it took me a while to update. I've been busy with a bunch of school stuff. We're about to have Christmas break in a week and I'll have a lot of time to update my stories by then, including **The Falling Stars**. I hope everyone who's been waiting will be happy. But for now, this is the only thing I could give you.

Before proceeding, I want to explain a few things with the last chapter (As questioned by **Clara Fonteyn**).

Like what the chapter said, Maria Di Angelo is Hades' wife instead of Persephone. I'll be putting Persephone as another character later on, and she may or may not have nothing to do with Hades.

Hera is Zeus' wife, like in the books. But she is also the mother of Thalia here in the story, instead of the unknown drunken actress. And I think Hera Grace sounds perfectly, won't you agree?

And if you guys didn't get it, Father Time is Kronos. Just pointing that out.

Before moving on, **Clara:** What did you mean by "What about Nico"?

And I also have a few trivias. Do guys know the true meaning of the song If U Seek Amy? If not, you should Google it. It totally fits the character of Amy/Amphitrite in the story, as reference in chapter 4. And also, Brine, Poseidon's and Amy's last name, is another word for saltwater. Just saying if you didn't know. Totally fits their names.

Thank you for all the amazing reviews! You guys are awesome! With 4 chapters, we already have 89! Isn't that so cool? I want to make a shout out for each and everyone of you, but it's going to eat a lot of my time and I'm supposed to be just updating. Sorry to everyone. I'll get back with having the shout outs next chapter.

Lastly, I really need those random conversation topic, guys. I'll be putting them up in the story.

Oh, and before reading the chapter, I want to explain that I'll be switching POVs from time to time. I need to do it for the story to make sense and also with the expression of emotions, actions, thoughts, etc. Don't worry, it won't be confusing, but I won't be saying whose POV it is. It'll be easy to recognize anyway. But for now, I'll say it. This one is Annabeth's POV. Please tell me what you think, if it's IC or OOC.

On with the story!

* * *

**Sophomore 5: Twilight at the break of dusk.**

* * *

_Why does this always happen to me? _I thought sourly to myself. I've already gotten myself a detention for my first day at a new school. And now, I can't get my stupid locker to open. I feel like a complete idiot. No one else is having malfunctions with their locker. Or their lives for that matter.

To answer my own question, this is happening to me because I'm Annabeth Chase. For some ostensible reason, the whole universe, including my outlandish and bizarro hair, have decided to turn against me. I know it sounds paradoxical, but I'm serious. No one has this much amount of bad luck. And bad luck is an understatement for my current predicaments.

I ran a hand through my sticky curly blonde hair and banged my fist against the locker. Ugh! And when did I start acting like a kvetch?

"Try waggling the lock before you pull it open." I instantly recognized the voice. No one, especially me, can ever forget the voice of someone who gets you your first ever detention in which you've worked so hard to avoid, thank you very much. And to add to that, it was on your first day at a new school. Definitely not the proper way to make an impression.

"What?" I turned around to face the obnoxious jerk that is none other than Percy Jackson.

He rolled his eyes. "I said try waggling the lock bef-"

"I know what you said," I snarled.

"But you just asked me," he said with a confused look on his face. You see how obnoxious he is? Not to mention oblivious.

"What do you want?" I growled. I'll be honest. I felt bad for throwing all my anger at him this early in the morning, but he did ask for it. Well, not literally. Figuratively. But you get the point. He should know better than to talk to someone who's in a bad mood. No, I'm not on my period. Let's just say it has something to do with my twin six-year old step-brothers 'accidentally' spilling milk on my hair during breakfast.

"Good morning to you, too," he scoffed. I glared at him, and he held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want _your_ help. Last time you did, I got detention, and need I remind you, that was just yesterday. And I don't exactly _need_ help anyway," I said, emphasizing a few words.

"Yeah. _Obviously_," he smirked at me. "Just put in your combination and I'll open it for you."

As much as I didn't want to, I sighed and complied, turning back to my locker to put in my combination. 08-17-16. I'm _not_, and I repeat, I'm _not_ admitting that I _do _need help. I didn't ask for his help. He just offered and I'm just giving him the chance to prove himself. Yeah, that's me, Annabeth Chase, queen of denial.

I stepped aside and leaned against the next locker. He moved an inch closer to my locker and cracked his neck to the sides. He even popped his knuckles. Seriously, what was with that? It's not like he's going to wrestle with the locker or something. _Boys._

"Watch and learn," he grinned and I rolled my eyes. He grabbed the lock and slowly pulled it to the left, then to the right. He looked at me peripherally, making sure I was watching, before waggling it a few more times. He pulled it towards him, and the locker popped open. He looked at me and smiled in victory.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"You're welcome," he smiled, and it was so contagious I couldn't help but smile back, completely forgetting that I was supposed to be in a bad mood. He may be annoying, but I couldn't deny the fact that he is nice. I started to put a few of my things in my locker as he leaned against the locker beside mine. "So, what are your morning classes?"

"I have Drama after homeroom, and then Algebra and PE," I answered and I noticed him grimace out of the corner of my eye. That only meant either Bessie decided not to ignore him today or we had the same classes. I only thought of the first one to point out that I may be wrong even if I'm sure it's the latter. What made me wonder though is that I saw a hint of excitement in his eyes.

"How about in the afternoon?" he asked as I closed my locker and leaned against it.

"Government, and Geography," I replied, and he sighed, though I'm not sure if it was in relief or disappointment. What am I even saying? Of course it was in relief.

"I guess we'll be spending the whole morning together," he stated calmly with slight enthusiasm.

"Hooray," I faked gusto as we headed for homeroom.

"It will be fun. You'll be spending time with _moi_," he grinned, resting his palm on his chest, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I'm like _totally _looking forward to it!" I chirped with a fake cheery voice, and he laughed.

"Oh, come on. It won't be that bad. We'll have Drama with my stepdad. Okay, so maybe _that _will be bad. But it's Drama! There's bound to be a fun thing to do," he exclaimed.

"Well, Algebra will definitely be boring with x's and y's and whatnot. I'll definitely just catch some z's," he grinned and I couldn't help but laugh at the joke. He then had this amused look on his face that I could't decipher so I decided to shrug it off.

"As for PE, well, that will definitely be exciting. I get the chance to kick your butt in dodgeball," he smirked.

"Dodgeball? Isn't that too childish for high school?" I asked, ignoring his cocky remark. One thing I couldn't ignore though is the excitement building up inside of me. Something I can never backdown from is a challenge. I'll show him a thing or two for wanting to mess with me, and I'm definitely going to enjoy every second of it.

He shrugged. "It's kind of a tradition. Every first meeting we play dodgeball just to have fun. Girls versus boys, of course. After that, it's pretty much just playing different sports."

I just nodded in understanding as we entered our room. It was still slightly early so we were the first ones in class. Aside from Mr. Harper that is.

"Ah. I see you two decided to be in early today," Mr. Harper smiled. We both slowly strode to his table awkwardly.

"Sorry for yesterday," Percy apologized, messing with his already messy black hair.

"No need to apologize. I think I should be the one who's supposed to be apologizing. I didn't mean to send you two to detention on your first day, though I thought of it as necessary. You two _were_ making a fiasco," Mr. Harper pointed out. I felt my cheeks flush.

"And I'm sorry to say, but since you two were not in yesterday, I'm forced to let you sit at the back. I hope you don't mind," he smiled and stood up. "You may take your seats now. I'll just be going out for a few minutes. And as for you, Ms. Chase, it's nice to finally meet you formally."

"It's nice to meet you, too. And thank you for your kind consideration," I smiled, and it was his turn to blush. I guess he's not used to being complimented and I felt bad for him. Someone as nice as him deserves to be praised more often.

He smiled at us one more time and walked out.

"_Thank you for your kind consideration_," Percy mocked with a singsong voice as we went to take our seats. I playfully shoved him in the shoulder but he was too caught up in his laughing to be on guard. He twirled around awkwardly and crashed into a chair.

I stifled a laugh as he collapsed on the floor. "Bloody murder. You got me," he cried as he put both of his hands on his heart, feigning death.

I rolled my eyes but I went along with the joke. "Quite was my intent, good sir," I bowed, and he collapsed back on the ground, laughing hard, and I laughed along with him.

"Would you mind helping me up, fair lady? I'm feeling a tad bit tired," he grinned, his British accent still very apparent.

"Sure thing, old chap," I said with a smile. I helped him up, and he brushed his shirt and jeans. After finally recovering from our sudden outburst of laughter, we arranged the misplaced chairs and took our seats at the back as students started filing in, Mr. Harper coming in last.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Harper greeted. And so, my second day at Goode High started.

After homeroom, Percy and I headed to our Drama class, meeting Nico along the way. He also had Drama with us.

It was all standard protocol for the duration of the period. Check the attendance, introduction, get to know your classmates, etcetera, etcetera. Paul Blofis, our teacher, also known as Percy's stepfather, gave us the opportunity to pick the play we wanted to tackle first.

Now, no offense to Shakespeare. Sure, I like how he writes, and I think I even love all of his pieces. But Romeo and Juliet is very banal. I mean seriously, committing suicide because you thought your lover is dead? That's just plain stupidity. I know the story was meant to be tragic, and I'm no romantic myself, but won't you agree with me that the death of Romeo and Juliet is nowhere near romantic? It's simply irrational and asinine. I think I would like Disney stories far better where 'they live happily ever after'.

Les Misérables, now that's a story worth being praised. Not to mention it's French. I once had the opportunity to watch the musical version of it in Broadway, thanks to a certain mother of mine. Even though I despise musicals (cough cough High School Musical cough cough), I found it outré (I love French.) for me to actually appreciate a musical.

Mr. Blofis gave us a few other pieces to choose from. And by other, I mean Shakespearean pieces; Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, etc. I think he has a thing for tragedies. After a few more years, I'm sure he'll love Tragédie du jeune Annabeth Chase. It will be the Tragedy of the century!

_Way to go, Annabeth. Just keep on degrading yourself more and more._ I inwardly sighed. If I wasn't too busy demeaning myself, I would've cheered like a preppy girly girl right about now. I would be speaking in IM like 'OMGS! Les Misérables FTW!' and 'Bessie, you're a BFH! ROFL! JK!'.

After finally deciding that we'll be discussing Les Misérables first, we were dismissed. Percy and I moved on to our next class. Algebra.

Usually, a maths class is very uneventful, especially when your teacher is very uptight with a very weird German accent. But that is not the case when you're seated next to Percy Jackson.

"Goot Morning, claz," the teacher greeted. Disregarding her accent, you could tell just by the way her voice went out of her mouth that she was mean and uptight. "I am yeer mads teacher, Miz Eldera Szmulewicz. Ve vill be tiscussing hyzckul algebra iztarting…"

"Did I hear correctly?" Percy whispered, leaning close to me from his chair.

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

"Her last _name_," he stated, like that made things clear.

"What about it?"

He rolled his eyes, and I resisted the urge to slap some sense into him. "How do you pronounce it?"

"Smu-le-vich," I answered.

"Oh…" he said, open-mouthed. "At first, it sounded like Smelly-vitch," he stated a little too loudly than that was necessary. And I guess you can previse what happened next.

I was busily wracking my brains for an excuse as everyone, including our teacher, stared at us, completely dumbfounded. I wasn't about to give up mulling over for an excuse, but like I said, the universe is against me. And sadly, that includes time, which I clearly ran out of.

"Vat deed you juz say?" Ms. Szmulewicz snarled pointedly. But before any of us could answer, she continued, "Detention!" But it sounded more like "Tetention!"

I heard Percy mutter a few excuses, and the class laughed for some reason. But I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings. The voice just kept echoing in my head. _Tetention, tetention, tetention, tetention… _Oh, God, not again.

Percy turned to me and mouthed, _Sorry_. But I wasn't about to pay any attention to that because I was busily killing him with my glare. Why won't he just drop dead? Yeah, yeah. I know I'm supposed to be logical. But my emotions are currently taking over my whole body. And my mind is completely wandering off to an imaginary land called Annabethopolis where I have a superpower called the Glare of Demise with which I can kill people just by looking at them. Childish? I don't think so.

And there I was, just sitting on my chair as the class went on, physically present, mentally absent, my mind completely in another dimension.

_And there I was, soaring above Annabethopolis._

_The sun was setting in the horizon, cascading the clear blue sky with tinges of vermillion, the thin clouds ignited by a fire in a fierce and wild way, lighting up the city down below with the winks coming from the stars. Twilight at the break of dusk._

_I was relishing the feeling of flying in the sky, the rush of the wind on my face, the sound of bustling people hundreds of feet below me. It was just another peaceful day in the city._

_But that's when I heard a silent scream. Using my super-hearing, along with my raptor-like vision, I found the source of the scream. _

_"Stop!" I yelled, crashing down heavily on the gray pavement, leaving long traces of crack on the cement._

_"Who do you think you are?" the hooded burglar asked. The struggling lady tried to push the man off of her, but clearly, the concentration of the man has never wavered. That is until I spoke._

_I took my usual heroic posture; cape flailing with the soft breeze, feet spread evenly on the ground, both hands on my hips, lips quirked into a small smirk, head held high. "Amazing Annabeth!" I boomed._

_"Nooo…" the man quivered on the ground. He hastily stood up and kneeled on his feet, begging for my mercy. "Please, spare me, my lady."_

_"Go," I ordered without hesitation. I am, by all means, the one and only merciful Amazing Annabeth._

_The man quickly took off without looking back, and I turned my attention to the distressed lady. She smiled warily in gratitude, but her face then contorted into fear. That's when I felt the evil presence behind me._

_"Hello, Annabeth," the man with a very small head greeted. It was none other than my arch enemy. Pea-brained Percy._

_"What do you want now, Percy?" I asked steely._

_"Oh ho. To the point, as usual direct, I see," he laughed. I rolled my eyes in response._

_"Will you ever stop talking like Yoda?"_

_"No. As you can see, I have a very small head with a brain the size of a pea. Your words of wisdom will never get through my thick skull."_

_"Then I guess I have no choice. I shall end this once and for all."_

_"Yes. Please, Amazing Annabeth. I need you to end my life so you will no longer suffer detention."_

_"Goodbye, Pea-brained Percy." And with one Glare of Demise, he dropped dead on the ground, a smile creeping to his face, thankful that I have finally ended his idiotic and moronic life._

_A crowd suddenly appeared out of nowhere, chanting my glorious name._

_"Annabeth! Annabeth! Annabeth!"_

"Annabeth!" Percy shook me out of my reverie.

"What?" I asked, annoyed that he disrupted me from my, uh… deep and coherent meditation.

He stared at me bemusedly for awhile, closing and opening his mouth. Then he suddenly smirked like he finally realized the true meaning of life. "You were daydreaming."

"Wha- No!" I stammered, feeling my cheeks flare up, and he started to laugh his butt off. "What do you want anyway?" I growled.

"Oh, nothing. Aren't you supposed to know that Ms. Know-it-all," he smiled when he finally recovered from laughing.

"Don't start with that again. You're still not on my good side. You just got me detention. _Again_," I pointed out.

"Well, you're lucky you're on my good side. If you weren't, I'd be sending a lot of black mails by now."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, yes I would. Now, come on. If you still haven't noticed, class ended a few minutes ago," he stated. As he said this, I looked around and I finally noticed that we were the only ones left in the room. I can't believe it. I just daydreamed through the entire class! How fatuous was that? I wanted to slap some sense into myself.

I stood up, and we exited the room and proceeded to our next class. PE.

"You know, when I decided I was going to hang out with you, I didn't know it would be in detention most of the time."

"I didn't mean to. You know it was an accident. But hey, isn't that some sort of a record for you? Twice in a row," Percy smirked and I just rolled my eyes in response. I think I've already rolled my eyes today more than the amount of times I've done it in the past. And we were still just about to reach third period. I inwardly groaned with this sudden realization. This is going to be a long day.


	6. Sophomore 6

Hey, guys. Sorry it took me awhile to update. Yeah, I have no excuse this time. Even though I practically live on my own (by the way, I spent Christmas on my own), I still have a life, and I got caught up.

I'd really love to do shout outs for everyone, but I'm kinda tired right now, so I'll settle with answering a few questions.

**You Know Who: **Yeah, Nancy will be in the story, though I'm still not sure how to fit her in. But I've already decided what her character will be like. And I really like the idea of Rachel being clairvoyant. I'll try to make it so. :D

**Iknowwhatyoudidlastsummer: **Are you talking about Tantalus? I've completely forgotten him! Thank you for reminding me. I'll definitely make a way to fit him in the story.

**The Ocean Is My Inkwell: **Thank you for the idea of 'humus'. I'm already working on that. :D Oh, and yes, Clarisse will be in the story. But it will be later on. Maybe a couple more chapters.

**Nobody: **I'm not really sure with my French either. Maybe we can work together? :D I'll ask you for future references.

**Sweetcars12, sonofposeidon1995, filmyfurry, IamAbotticelli, WolfieInAChiton, Puffin0997, ashash105, Clara Fonteyn, Awesome one, WannaBeWisegirl, percabeth-fan-4-ever, everyoneisMISunderstood, kittiesrock90210, Mizzrandom, ThaliaGrace04, ultamatenerd33, d-christen, Thalia XxGallagher Girl 4evaxX, hahaha, LittleMissUnfortunate, Holy Zeus, fieryodyssey, BlissfulDude, Sargent fuzzy bear, Anna145, xIxLikexMusicx, koalakoala9836, FOREVERxHEARTSxPERCABETxD, Annabeth98, PJ Fan111, no name, ., werqwerq, bluekiwi95: **Thank you for reviewing! Really, thank you, guys. We've broken the 100 barrier! 200 is next. Let's keep it up, shall we? :D

If you guys have questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'd love to answer each one. Oh, and I'm still looking for conversation topics. I've already got a few from you guys, and thanks a lot! I'll put them later on.

Here's another chapter. And sorry for the title. Don't mind it for sounding a bit... dirty. I don't know why, but for some reason, I'm in a smutty mood. LOL.

Merry Christmas to you all!

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**Sophomore 6: BJ, and a blower.**

* * *

Who knew dodgeball could be considered a sport in the X games? If you might ask why, it's actually really dangerous. Someone got a bloody nose because he got hit straight in the face. Yup, that's a _he_. Meaning the one who threw the ball at him was a girl. What a wuss, if I might say so myself.

I have never had this much fun in like forever. And by fun, I mean booting (or throwing massive red balls in this case) dozens of boys' behinds. If you're a tidbit slow, I meant kicking butt.

It was just like the movie The Matrix. I could literally see balls fly everywhere in slow motion, and I can easily dodge each at the very last second. Balls would whistle past my ear with a _Whooop!_

Adrenaline was definitely kicking in inside of me. I was pretty much running on auto-pilot, my body screaming to take down each male in sight. Gender didn't come into play here. It was practically survival of the fittest; no bounds.

With a help from Thalia, we were able to clear off the boys' team pretty fast. But Percy somehow managed to singlehandedly wipe out our team just as quickly. And with a very unsportsmanlike distraction from Nico and Grover, Percy took advantage and took out Thalia. She stormed off and chased the two boys after that. She was screaming "I'm going to freaking murder you and then I'll resurrect you, clone you and kill you again along with your clones! Then I'll take your bloody corpses and burn them to the ground, and I'll…", I didn't hear what she said next because now…

Now, it was just me and _him_.

We both had a ball in hand and eyed each other's movements carefully. Minus the wild "Percy!" and "Annabeth!" cheers and random "Did you see Grover's undies!? Ha ha ha!" from our classmates seating on the stands, and our teacher chasing Thalia who was in turn chasing Nico and Grover, it reminded me of an old western movie where it's down to the last draw.

We started to slowly encircle one another, a good ten feet between us. He had a smug look on his face that made him look as smug as a… smug person. You should read it again. It won't make any sense as you hope it will. Trust me.

"You're going down, Chase," Percy smirked, placing his hand with the ball just behind his back, ready to throw. I just shrugged off his useless attempt with a threat and mirrored his smirk.

"We'll see about that." And as if on cue, I hurled my ball towards him. He quickly sidestepped to avoid it and threw his ball at me, which I dodged just as easily. We started running around the gym, grabbing scattered balls and throwing them at the other at the same time. It was tiring, but exhilarating at the same time. We kept it like that for about five minutes, until the only ball within reach was halfway between us.

We stared frantically at each other for a moment, but I was the first one to recover, giving me a head start towards the ball. My brain tried to call out to me to keep myself collected, but every competitive bone and muscle in my body somehow decided to leap against my own free will. Sounds weird, right? The adrenaline was getting to me and I'm clearly unable to think... clearly. Hey, my brain can't process any more words, so cut me some slack. I could be saying something like "Flargy flarg flarg!" for all I care.

The ball was inches away from my grasp when I felt something crash into me. The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the soft mat floor with Percy pinning me down by my shoulders. His face was centimeters away from my own, too close for comfort. My breathing started to escalate, and if my heart was connected to an electrocardiogram, it would be going wild and would be beeping every millisecond. Stupid teenage hormones.

We stayed like that for I don't know how long; gray eyes linking with green ones, and vice versa. I could feel his body heat coalescing with my own, his cool breath brushing my cheeks, his raven hair that was dangling from above his head was tickling my forehead, and to top it all of, a cold shiver was running up and down my spine. To summarize it all, it felt like I was in the middle of a blizzard in hell.

After what felt like hours, the teacher finally decided to blow her whistle to signal that the game was over.

"Since you've both violated the rule of no physical contact between two opposing players, you're both disqualified. Meaning no one wins. Now, hit the showers!"

Our classmates groaned and headed for the locker rooms. Nico, Grover, and Thalia were already sent there earlier because of the ruckus they raised.

Percy hastily stood up, avoiding my gaze, but he held a hand to help me up. I didn't know why I felt like I was disappointed for the sudden disappearance of his smell, which was minty like- Gah! Teenage hormones are mainly to blame here. Stupid hormonal reactions, messing with my logical perspective.

I hesitantly took Percy's hand, thankful that he wasn't looking my way as I felt my cheeks flare up with the preceding incident replaying in my mind. I quickly wracked my brains for a coverup. "You just had to cheat, didn't you?" There. That's good enough.

"I didn't cheat!" he retorted, signs of a blush from his cheeks fading. "I simply… _miscalculated._ Yeah, I miscalculated my jump." He whispered the last part as he scratched the back of his neck.

I rolled my eyes. _Boys and their ego._ "Yeah, keep telling that to yourself," I said, and he scowled at me. "Just admit it. You just got your butt kicked. By a _girl._"

"Whatever. Besides, I was just keeping my word," he grinned as he made his way for the showers. I raised an eyebrow in question. "I told you you're going down."

Even though the game was pretty much wasted, I had to admit, PE would be interesting if things were always like this. And I'd like to point out that I'm not referring to Percy pinning me down, which by the way, was inexplicably annoying. Inexplicable because… it's inexplicable! He's just very annoying! No explanation needed. Simple as that.

After I have changed back to my previous clothes, the rest of the day dragged on. I had lunch in the cafeteria with Percy, Nico, and Grover just like yesterday, except this time, Thalia finally joined us.

"I mean seriously, pantsing each other? That's a new low. Even for you guys," Thalia stated, referring to Nico and Grover. They were back on good terms after Thalia beat them up. You go, girl!

_That sounded weird coming from you_.

_Why, thank you, conscience!_ Once you talk to your so called voice in your head, that's when you run and throw yourself in the loony bin.

"Who cares? As long as it got the job done," Nico replied, and Grover nodded in agreement, chewing a carrot hanging from his mouth.

Thalia narrowed her eyes at the both of them. "It's called cheating."

With that, I cleared my throat and smirked resulting in me earning a glare from Percy. The others just gave us weird stares.

We settled in comfortable silence after, taking a few bites from our meal. Well, them at least. As for me, I just kept glancing at the abomination that was placed in my food tray.

"Hey. Random thought. If you got stuck on a deserted island, would you eat your own feet?" Grover asked.

"Would there be ketchup?" Nico asked. Grover shook his head. "Chocolate syrup?" We all gave him the what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-slash-exclusive-for-only-Nico look. I got it from Percy. And with the way Nico acts, it's not that hard to give him the said look.

"You're on a _deserted _island. Of course there will be no _chocolate syrup_, or ketchup for that matter," Percy put in.

"That's not even the point. Did you actually consider eating your own feet?" I asked Nico. He just shrugged.

"As long as there's ketchup, I'm all for it. If there's chocolate syrup, then I'll settle for a toe." I was about to ask him if he really was sixteen years old, but I decided against it. Wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of a ten-year old mind. Then again, maybe he would take it as a compliment.

A shiver ran down my spine. Goosebumps. My mind started playing an image of Nico pouring ketchup on his feet and biting them off. Yuck! I think I just got scarred for eternity. Then there's him licking the excess chocolate syrup on his toeless feet. Scratch that. Change it to scarred for eternity squared. Stupid mental images. My eternal gratitude goes to Grover for taking me out of my woolgathering.

"Well, if it was me, I won't bother eating my feet. I mean, I'm on a _dessert-ed _island. Get it? Dessert-ed? There'd be lots of desserts?" Grover grinned. We all just stared at him. I got the joke but it wasn't _that_ funny.

"O-kay," Thalia interjected, prolonging the 'o'. Grover turned back to his food, mumbling something about being a vegetarian. Thalia then turned to me and Percy. "Anyways, I heard you guys got detention."

"Again," Percy and I said at the same time. We looked at each other sheepishly for a moment, then looked away.

I ignored the others' next round of weird stares and I looked down at my food instead. It could only be described as mystery meat and some kind of brown muck. Just the usual. And if you find that appetizing, I must say, you need serious help. Go pop some bubble rap, it's cheaper than therapy.

"You know, it's not going to move. It may look like a bunch of different types of crap, and even taste like it, but it's going to stay right there," Percy whispered from next to me. I could feel his breath tickle my neck and my heart instantly paced up.

"You sure? I think it just twitched," I replied. He chuckled and shook his head. "And how do you even know what crap tastes like? _A bunch of different types _for that matter."

He made a weird face with a hint of disgust, and it was my turn to chuckle and shake my head. I then turned back to Thalia. "You were saying?"

"I said I'll help you guys," she mumbled incoherently, taking a bite from what looked like tater tots. I raised an eyebrow, and she just grinned.

"You'll find out later," Percy whispered, answering my unspoken question.

After lunch break, we split up and went to our next class. I had Government with Thalia, and then Geography with Nico and Grover.

My afternoon classes went by pretty swiftly. I guess with no Percy Jackson, there's pretty much no highlight in my day. And I'm not saying I miss him, or being with him as for that matter. And I'm just saying that because I know that's what you're thinking. And I'm not being defensive! Which I'm completely being not! Uhm, I think I'll just stop…

Anyway… Let's just skip the rest of the day and proceed to detention.

The room was almost filled this time, unlike yesterday where there were only four of us. I guess second day's the charm, not the third. Get it? Because- Oh, why do I even bother to joke around.

Percy was talking to a group of guys which I noted were a bunch of jocks. He acknowledged my presence by sending a smile my way and giving a slight nod. From what I heard from random squealing stalk-ish fangirls, he was the running back for the school's football team. I guess that explained his toned calves. Not that I care.

I sat at my usual chair at the end corner of the room. Well, not really usual since I've only been here once before, but you get the point.

I was about to take out my favorite book, a modern translation of Ten Books on Architecture (I'm a nerd. Get over it. But really, I'd prefer something like intellectual badass.), when somebody sat beside me and took my attention. "Hey."

I gave the girl a quick up-down and noticed that I've seen her in a few of my classes. She had blond hair, but unlike my golden ones, hers were of a darker shade and had brown streaks. She had caramel-brown eyes that fitted her personality. Not that I know her, but just with the tone of her voice as she said the one word, you could tell she had attitude. Her skin had a soft tan like mine, but it made me wonder where she got them. I didn't really go out very often when we were still in San Francisco, but the California heat was enough to give me a tan.

"Hey," I greeted back.

"You're the new girl," she said. It was more of a statement than a question. "Annabeth, right?"

"Yeah. News travels fast, huh." I could practically hear voices in my head with people talking about me. _Hey, you see that? She's the new girl!, Really? She looks like an intellectual badass!, Yeah! I even heard she was kick-ass in dodgeball!, *drools* I want to be just like her._ I smiled inwardly. There's my daily ego-booster.

She shrugged. "Goode High may be a big school, but there are only a few students. Everybody knows everybody. I'm Ruby by the way," she smiled. "So, what did dear ol' Annabeth do to get detention on her second day?"

"She didn't exactly do anything. Let's just say she was hanging around with the wrong crowd," I smiled. She looked at me questioningly, and I nodded at the direction of Percy. Ruby followed my gaze and laughed.

"I see he still has serious issues with his mouth. He just doesn't know when to shut up," she snickered. I laughed along with her.

"How do you know each other? Cousin?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Family friend?"

"Nope."

"Girlfriend?"

"What!?" I asked incredulously. She grinned.

"Ooh… Somebody's got a cru-ush," she said with a singsong voice. I would've been angry at her proclamation, but I couldn't help but laugh. Only an expert teaser can turn one syllable into two.

"First of all, I don't have a crush. And if I did have one, it wouldn't be some bozo who I just met and at the same time got me two consecutive detentions." It didn't really come out as harsh as it sounded because I was still laughing lightly.

"This is already your second one?" she asked disbelievingly. I sighed and nodded. "Wow. No offense, but it sucks to be you."

"Tell me about it. So, what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked.

"Why did you get detention?" I replied. Instead of answering, she just pointed to her mouth where she was chewing a gum. "Ah. A chewer."

"And a blower," she stated, blowing a bubble which popped quickly. A blower. Why does that sound so… dirty?

"Ms. Thompson!" Mr. Nunley called without looking up from his magazine. _Lazy bum_. "No chewing gum inside the classroom."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yezzir." I waited for her to take out a wrapper or something to cover her gum but she just grinned at me and kept chewing. I smiled and shook my head.

"You still haven't answered me," she said after a few moments of silence.

"Huh?" I am _so _good at showing my communication skills.

"How did you end up hanging out with the hottest boy in our year?" she asked expectantly. Hottest boy in ou- Oh. She must be talking about Percy. Huh. Percy. Hottest boy. The thought never crossed my mind.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Jinx, I guess."

"Jinx!? Are you freaking kidding me!? Your spot is practically to die for!" she exclaimed. "If others found out about you not being related to him, every girl would probably kill you."

"Well, thanks for the tip then."

"I'm not joking. I'm _serious_," she said. I looked 'seriously' at her 'serious' face. But soon enough, she gave in and started to laugh. "Okay, you got me. But _seriously_, _they _will make your life a living hell."

"Who exactly is _they_?"

"The witch with a capital B and her wanna-be's," she said remorselessly. I wondered what _she _had done to her.

"Bessie?" I wondered. _The witch with a capital B._ How fitting. Her name has a capital B, and there's the connotation of the phrase itself.

"The one and only."

"Ooh… The horror!" I feigned being terrified with all the raise-your-hands-and-shake gesture and we laughed.

"You mean Whore-ror," Ruby said between laughs. Okay, we may have sounded overly mean to Bessie, but from what I've heard so far, this is nothing to what she truly deserves. We kept on, and on, and on, and on with the not-so-nasty mockery of Bessie with various witty comments. Until I finally found out what Thalia meant by 'helping' us.

She marched right in the room, and with dramatic effects, we all fell silent. For once, Mr. Nunley's attention was brought out of his magazine. "What is it, Ms. Grace?"

I noticed Thalia stiffen at the mention of her last name. I could understand. It kind of ruins the tough and rebellious facade she pulls of. "The principal wishes to see Ms. Chase and Mr. Jackson."

"Is that so?" Mr. Nunley asked bored-ly. "Could you give me the reason?"

A soft growl escaped Thalia's throat and even Mr. Nunley flinched. "Are you questioning me?"

Mr. Nunley gave in. It was either even he himself didn't want to mess with Thalia, or he was just being a lazy bum and didn't want to argue. "You heard her. Chase, Jackson, you are free to go."

I quickly grabbed my bag, smiled at Ruby and said a silent farewell, and went out with Thalia and Percy. I hastily grabbed the opportunity as it presented itself. It was literally a free get-out-of-jail card. Or get-out-of-detention in this case.

"Thanks," Percy said.

Thalia shrugged. "Eh. I just got your butt out of detention. What else is new. Oh, and you owe me. For like…" she trailed off.

"The tenth time," Percy mumbled.

Thalia smiled. "And now, you're about to make up for your debts." Percy raised an eyebrow questioningly and Thalia looped her arm around my arm. "You're going to treat us with our boyfriends."

I stopped dead at my tracks and looked at her appallingly. I noticed Percy's mouth drop, his face showing he was in complete shock, and his eyes widened and flashed with something… jealousy? I shook the thought out of my mind. I was still in complete shock myself, I may have imagined it. Something's seriously wrong here. Thalia says we're going with _our_ boyfriends, meaning _I _have a boyfriend, whom _I _have no idea of. Apparently, _we _had no choice. Thalia literally dragged us out of the school.

I kept on complaining along the way. I should have a say in this. I mean, we're incidentally talking about _me_. But when we finally arrived at the place, I took back everything I said. I even silently thanked Thalia. They were _hot!_ No, just kidding. They were the complete opposite of _hot_.

And I have to say, it was love at first sight. And Percy didn't bother hiding his jealousy. He's even drooling. Yup, you read that right. He was drooling. Right in front of us. I couldn't blame him though. He ran out of money treating us with our _boyfriends_. And he didn't get a single one. Now, you may be thinking, _Percy didn't get a boyfriend? _No, silly. We're talking about… Well… I think I'll mess with you a little more.

So, here I am, enjoying the time of my life, licking my _boyfriend_. Literally. Yuck? No. More like _Yum!_ Okay, before you think I'm disgusting, you have to meet our _boyfriends_. Guys, meet Ben and Jerry.

"You're drooling," I pointed out to Percy, taking a lick from my amazing waffle cone of Chocolate Therapy. Yum… I'm taking it slow with my _boyfriend_. For one, I don't want to get a brain freeze. Two, the sight of Percy's face is priceless! This is a moment for me to cherish. Definitely a Kodak moment.

Thalia and I took our time finishing our ice cream cones. Like I said, the sight of Percy's face is priceless! We kept on teasing him. And we also took the opportunity to catch up with each other. We didn't get the chance yesterday.

After an hour of hanging out and continuous grumbling from Percy, we finally went our separate ways. Well, Thalia at least. Their cousin Bianca called for her. As for Percy and I, well, here we are walking towards the direction of my house. Apparently, his apartment is a few blocks away from ours.

"Tell me something about yourself," Percy said conversationally.

"Why?" I asked, surprised.

He shrugged. "I just want to get to know you a little better. All I know right now is your name is Annabeth Chase. You were originally from San Francisco. You're a know-it-all. You're an intellectual badass." I smiled at that. "You love chocolate. You're into architecture. You share your boyfriends Ben and Jerry with Thalia. That's about it. Oh, and you suck at dodgeball," he finished, smirking.

"Wow. I think you're ready to apply for a stalker's license," I teased. "And you should know, if I suck at dodgeball, you stink at it."

"Touché," he smiled. "But seriously, tell me."

"Persistent much?" I smiled. "Okay, where do you want to start?"

"Family background?" he offered.

"Let's see. My father, Frederick Chase, is a graduate of West Point. He's currently studying a few artifacts from World War Two. That's why we relocated here, for him to be closer to the museum. I live with my stepmom, Alice, and twin younger step-brothers, Bobby and Matthew. That's about it." I was glad he noticed that I didn't mention my real mother and didn't press on the matter.

"Okay, that wasn't too hard, right? As for me, well, you've met Paul, my step-father. My mother is Sally Jackson, I took after her last name instead of my dad, Poseidon."

"Poseidon? As in Poseidon Brine?" I cut in.

"Yeah," he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why didn't you tell me!" _This is bad… Really bad…_

"You didn't ask? Why are you so concerned about it anyway?"

"Uh, nothing." He stared at me a little longer, but thankfully, he eventually dropped the matter. "Anyway, uh, this is my stop." I forced a smile, but I was inwardly panicking.

"Okay. See you tomorrow," he waved. I stood in front of our house as I watched Percy walk away and turn around the corner, but before he did, he turned around and gazed back at me. I quickly looked away and turned to open the door, but before I went in, I glanced one more time but Percy was already gone.

I closed the door behind me and leaned on it. I felt my cheeks heat up as my heart pounded hard against my chest. What's going on with me? This is so wrong…

"Annabeth? Is that you?" my dad called from somewhere in the house.

"Yeah!" I answered, throwing my backpack on the couch in the living room.

"We're in the kitchen. Someone's here to see you." I quickly stiffened. We only moved here two weeks ago and we don't know any one from here, except a few of my dad's friends. There was only one other person who would look for me. And why would she decide to see me now? I've waited for years for her to see me, or at least call me or send a letter. But nooo… She settled with sending me expensive gifts on my birthdays and Christmases. I expected more from Minerva Lore, CEO of Athens Industries, rival company of Olympus Enterprises.

I slowly made my way for the kitchen. And there she sat cross-legged, smiling at me. "Mother…"


	7. Sophomore 7

Me: Hey, guys. I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. Almost three weeks! Tsk. So bad... But I do have an excuse. I went back to my hometown for the holidays, and well, I got so caught up and I didn't have any time to update. But I never forgot about you guys!

**Clara Fonteyn:** I'm really sorry about the whole plot-stealing thing. You know I didn't mean to... Peace? LOL. :D

**everyoneisMISunderstood:** Tyson will already appear probably somewhere in the next two chapters. I'm still trying to work it out. But I'm sure you'll love it. :D

**Awesome one:** I just might take you on that offer. That'll rock! :D

**Sweetcars12, You Know Who, Holy Zeus, BlissfulDude, fieryodyssey, hypothetic nerd, Starscape91, percabeth-fan-4-ever, KH 777, Sargent fuzzy bear, koalakoala9836, Nobody, Puffin0997, Iknowwhatyoudidlastsummer, IamAbotticelli, bluekiwi95, Emerald Malfoy 1307, Tulipbook:** You guys rock! Remain awesome! Keep reviewing. :D

**Uckuckyckyx, Hgfu, jgxjtxkg, dedfk, fd, please update!: **Are you guys one person? Just wondering... :D

So... Next on the list are news! One, here's an update! Yeah, pointless... Two, I've officially kidnapped Percy and Annabeth!

Annabeth and Percy: -sarcastic- Yey...

Me: Next, I'm about to start a new story! I'll probably put it up tomorrow or later this week.

Percy: Tell them about your wild stunt!

Me: What stunt?

Percy: You know. You ruhmff, mmmfff...

Me: -covering Percy's mouth- Uh, so. That's it for now. Take it away, Annabeth. I'll just gag Percy with something I can find. -looks around-

Percy: Rrrmmmfffppphhh!

Annabeth: -rolls eyes- Anyway... Many of you kept wondering why my mother, Athena, is named Minerva Lore in this story. And we would like to thank **jgxjtxkg** for the brief explanation. For you guys who didn't catch that, here it is: **Just to let you know Minerva is the roman godess of wisdom shes like Athena with a different name and lore means knoledge gained from traditions. That should clear up some confusion.**

But I'd like to explain further...

Me: Annabeth! You're boring them out again!

Annabeth: -ignores me- You're all familiar with the Greek gods and goddesses, right? You should be, or you're not a worthy fan of the PJO fandom. Just kidding. As I was saying, there's Athena, Zeus, Hades, Pos- Persephone...

Percy: Rrmmmfff, hhmmmppphhh!

Annabeth: -ignores Percy- ...and all the others. They have Roman counterparts! I know, big surprise! They're pretty much the same gods/goddesses/heroes/monsters/whatever, but different names. Zeus - Jupiter, Hades - Pluto, Aphrodite - Venus, Hermes - Mercury, Heracles - Hercules, Etcetera - Etcetera.

And here's a trivia. Did you guys know that Apollo has the same name in both mythologies? Awesome, right?

Me: -gagging Percy with Nico's black sock- Just get on with it!

Annabeth: Fine! Anyway, Athena's Roman name is Minerva. But unlike what **jgxjtxkg **said, she isn't like Athena. She is Athena! You guys should know that. Or else. She's my mom. And I'm telling you, you wouldn't want to find out what she can do to you...

Me and Percy: -shudders-

Annabeth: That's it! On with the story! Oh, and please ignore the chapter title. Adonai63 is messing with me again. -grabs chainsaw-

Me: -wide eyes- You wouldn't...

Annabeth: -cackles and starts chainsaw-

Me: Aaahhh...!

* * *

**Sophomore 7: The Karma-zing Annabeth.**

* * *

"Every day you walk with stronger step, you walk with longer step. The worst is over."

"Every day, I wonder every day, who was it that brought me here from the barricade?"

"Don't think about it, Marius. With all the years ahead of us. I will never go away. And we will be together. Every day. Every day, we'll remember that night. And the vow that we made: 'A heart full of love. A night full of you.' The words are old, but always true. Oh, God, for shame, you did not even know my name."

"Dear Mamwa… Madamme… Mademoiselle…" Oh, God. I hate this. Annabeth rolled her eyes while the class started to laugh. I'm so getting back at Nico for this.

"It's mad-mwa-zel, you idiot," Annabeth exclaimed pointedly at moi. That's pretty much all the French I could muster.

"Oh, shut up, smarty pants."

-Flashback: About Five Scene-repeats ago-

Annabeth, Nico, and I were seated at the very back of the room. We were in our Drama class, and Paul is currently discussing the summary of Les Misérables and its characters.

"It's _lame _and _boring_." I was just telling Annabeth how lame and boring the story and the play is. Not to mention the musical version. Seriously, who watches those kind of things? Apparently people like Annabeth, who by the way, is very mentally deranged.

"And what makes you think you have the right to state something so fictitious?" she retorted, visibly furious.

"It's a _fact_. Deal with it. Right, Nics?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah. Whatever," Nico answered, lifting his gaze from doodling on his doodle-pad for a second to answer. I feel so sorry for my cousin. Something is seriously wrong with him. You have _sketchpads_, not doodle-pads.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll prove to you that it isn't _lame _and _boring_."

"Oh, yeah? How?" I challenged.

"I'll make sure you get a role in the play, preferably Marius."

"Who's that? The janitor? Then I'll make sure you get the role of the maid." No pun intended. Who knew that the female protagonist was actually a maid (or at least something like that)? Not me.

Annabeth groaned. "You're hopeless."

"Well, you're… you're…" I stuttered, unable to make a comeback.

"Amazing? Why, thank you."

"In your dreams."

Throughout our notable bantering, we were oblivious to the fact that Nico was right there, who, I might mention, was silently listening in and plotting. Curse him.

And so, when Paul was finished with the discussion, he asked for volunteers to enact a scene of the male and female protagonists, Marius and Cosette. And smart-ass Nico volunteered Annabeth and I, and we were completely unaware of it since we were still ripping each other's throats.

-End of Flashback-

And here we are now...

"Percy, start all over again," Paul instructed. As much as I love him as a stepfather, technically, here in drama class he's my teacher. So, yeah. I currently hate him.

_Riiinnnggg…_

Ah. How cliché to be saved by the bell.

"Okay, class. Don't forget next meeting…" I didn't hear what Paul said next because just then, Nico bolted out of the room, and I quickly followed along with Annabeth. Oh, he's so going to get it. Why did he even think he can run away from me?

It just took me exactly three seconds to jump down the stage, get out of the room, chase Nico, and grab him by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked Nico. Rhetorically, of course. We were about at the same height, so it took a lot out of me to lift him up from the ground. But it was well worth it. The look on his face was priceless, if only you could see it. He looked like he was about to pee in his pants, or maybe worse, if you get my drift. The hardest part in all of this was suppressing my laughter and keeping my act.

"Oh c'mon, Perce. It wasn't that bad," he said, trembling in fear. I could get used to this new found power.

"I had to repeat the lines five times! If you think _that_ wasn't bad enough, how about trying to sing it!"

"Well, you have to admit, it was funny," he laughed, and I gave him a very explicit death glare. "Okay, okay. Really, there's no need to employ violence. Can't we just move past this?"

"No, we can't," I snarled.

"Let him go, Percy. He's not worth it," Annabeth stated. I looked at her incredulously. _Say what?_ But she just kept a very stern look on her face, though her eyes told everything. She was on to something.

"Fine," I grumbled and hesitantly let go of Nico. He straightened his shirt and looked back at us suspiciously. He was right to think that. We were going to get back at him and he knew it. But Annabeth and I kept our faces impassive, making sure not to give anything away. Nico studied us for a few more moments before finally deciding to let it go.

"Uh, so… I'll see you guys later?" he waved unsurely, walking away and leaving me with Annabeth.

"You're up to something," I leaned in, whispering.

"Of course. I always have a plan," Annabeth said with a smile, and I grinned in response. Revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

"So, are you coming to the opening game tonight?" I asked conversationally as we made our way to our next class.

"Eh. Maybe," she shrugged and gave me a fleeting smile. "One thing to look forward to is you making a fool out of yourself."

"Ha-ha. Very funny." I playfully bumped her with my shoulder, and in return, she shoved me against the wall. Not playfully. Ouch.

"Ow! What was that for!" I complained. Annabeth giggled, but it wasn't uncontrollable and insanely girly like other girls'. It was Annabeth. And it was the most amazing sound I've ever heard.

Man, I'm so screwed up.

* * *

Cheerleaders shouted with passion without any pause in their choreographed routines along the sidelines. Fans roared in excitement, jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air. A few even managed to start a very huge 'wave' when Goode High took the lead.

The game was rough; bodies would tackle each other at full force, passes kept on being intercepted by the opposing team, and running backs would twist and turn just like they've always practiced when they run and dodge traffic cones only to be brought down by a massive linebacker.

The game was tight. But for now, Goode High was in the lead; Goode High: 10, Guest: 7.

It was almost October, and with the almost change in the calendar, there is also the almost change in the weather. It was a comfortable jeans-and-shirts temperature during the day, and a required jogs-and-jacket at night. The trees in Manhattan were beginning to turn into the colors of fall: yellow, orange, red, brown, with the occasional mucky green.

The stadium, completely illuminated by large lights coming from all directions, with an enticing scent of roasted hot dogs wafting through the air, was full of audience coming from both schools competing against each other. Annabeth was seated alone on the top corner of the furthermost stand from the field, reading her favorite massive book on architecture.

It was enlivening to see the school in very high spirits, she thought melancholically. She didn't mind the wild and loud enthusiasm of the crowd from both sides. She even liked the ineffable physicality of the game. And that there, folks, is what you would call sarcasm.

She tried to ask herself why she was even there in the first place. She would _really _much rather prefer her silent room where she can be alone peacefully and work on her assignments than in the stadium where all the people were restless and bustling around. She was a serenity-type of person, someone who would rather be alone and do they're own things. It wasn't emo-ish in any way. And that's where she and Judd agree. He was like that, one who enjoys the company of himself rather than the company of others.

But somehow, Annabeth found it… fun… and entertaining to watch the manly sport, America's sport supposedly, although her attention was more on the book she was reading. However, she did take note of Percy sprint down the field, move past the last-second efforts of the corner backs to tackle him, and race towards the end zone for a touchdown. He spiked the ball as his teammates swarmed him, and the sea of students on their side shot to their feet and cheered.

Annabeth had heard the rumors of Percy being great and being the best, but she never thought he was _that_ good. He was fast. Really fast. Strangely, this made her smile. She noted to herself to challenge him sometime to a race. She'd like to see his face when he eats her dust.

The referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the quarter. After an hour and a half into the game, it was just halftime. The scoreboard read "Goode High: 17 Guest: 7".

Annabeth placed her book back in her bag and stood up, stretching. She was late for the game, missing a spot next to Thalia, Grover, and Nico. They decided to meet somewhere at the concession stands during halftime and take seats next to each other afterwards.

She made her way down the aisle steps, out of the field area, and to the concession stands. Students lingered and wandered around the bleachers and the field as some kids wheeled a small make-shift stage on the turf. Annabeth remembered Ruby and Judd mentioning their band would be playing during the break. She was torn between wanting to watch, and wanting to meet the others and get something to eat.

Her stomach growled, and she got her answer. Food it is.

It looked like the Promised Land to her. Stands were filled with mouth-watering foods: hot dogs, burgers, french fries, mozzarella sticks, tacos, enchiladas (Grover would be _very _happy), and basically every other food item in that group. It wasn't the healthiest, but she didn't mind. No second thoughts went through her brain as her stomach controlled her body movements, if that's even possible.

But before she could get her hands on any of the said heavenly food, someone wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

She was caught off guard, not to mention her stomach taking over her initial priority, her brain was unable to process instantly that it was Thalia. The actual words that came out of her mouth were very inappropriate, so let's just go with the classic "Get your filthy hands off of me!" response, even though technically, Thalia only had one hand, or arm to be exact, around Annabeth.

Thalia blinked at the sudden outburst, and Annabeth quickly blurted out an apology as soon as she recovered from her brain-dead state. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't know it was you! You surprised me! And you know I hate surprises." Her last words came out as a whisper, making sure to not let anyone else know about one of her deathly secrets.

Before Thalia could manage a reply, Nico and Grover joined the two with their respective "Yo!" and "'Sup!" greetings. Both girls groaned loudly. Nico and Grover were still in their 'gangsta' disposition.

"Will you guys _please _quit that? It's getting annoying," Thalia exclaimed, emphasizing the magic word. The two boys opened their mouths to answer, but Thalia cut them, "And yes. That includes wearing those baggy clothes and weird large blings. Why are you even wearing that baseball cap in a _football_ game? And is _that _what I think _it _is! Ew!" They were about to respond, but Thalia continued, "And no. Giving us the royal treatment won't make any difference. Although I think buying us gallons of BJ's will do…" Nico and Grover were about to protest, but Thalia was still not done. "Or _else_." Now, she's finished.

The 'gangstas' trembled in fear. They were well aware of what Thalia could do, and Thalia noticing they're fidgeting forms, smiled knowingly. Grover and Nico, finally able to muster all the courage to retort, grumbled unisonous-ly, "Fine." _That_ was all the courage they could summon. Annabeth rolled her eyes at their predictable response.

The four of them managed to grab grubs even with the very large crowd and very long lines. They purchased just about everything on the menu. They took their food to an empty spot in the large patch of grass near the make-shift stage on the field and ate enthusiastically as they listened to the band play their last song. Ruby started to sing a song by Flyleaf: All Around Me.

_My hands are searching for you  
My arms are outstretched towards you  
I feel you on my fingertips  
My tongue dances behind my lips for you_

Annabeth, mesmerized by the fact that Ruby's voice was versatile, remarked that she had an amazing voice. The way she sang the song was almost better than the original version. The song echoed throughout the field, reaching everyone's ears.

_This fire rising through my being  
Burning, I'm not used to seeing you_

_I'm alive, I'm alive_

Nico and Grover were doing headbangs as Annabeth and Thalia subconsciously hummed along with the band, the crowd performing the same notions. Every person was evidently in a stupor, completely entranced by Ruby's voice. She was like a siren.

_I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healing_

Pain was audible (no pun intended) in her voice. She put everything she had into singing, and Annabeth could tell the song meant a lot to Ruby, as it did to herself.

_My hands float up above me  
And you whisper you love me  
And I begin to fade  
Into our secret place_

_The music makes me sway  
The angels singing say we are alone with you  
I am alone, and they are too with you_

_I'm alive, I'm alive_

There has always been a wrangle with the true meaning of the song. Different groups of people have interpreted the song in respect to their own outlooks in life, may it be in a religious manner or in a romantic way.

_I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healing_

_And so I cry  
The light is white  
And I see you_

_I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive_

It didn't matter to Annabeth though. The song has connected with her in a very different way; her relationship with her mother. It was bizarre. Surreal. Unconventional. Idiosyncratic. And she was well aware of it.

She didn't care though even if it was unnatural. Because that's what she was. A radical nonconformist. And her mother was to blame. Or so says her friends back in California.

Although Annabeth didn't blame her. It was inevitable that her mother was never part of her life, she thought sanguinely. She always hoped that one day she will be back, even if she was more elusive than a dead family member, for death is the proof of someone's existence. As for Minerva, she was just an eerie ghost of Annabeth's haunted past. The only proof she was ever real was the fact that Annabeth was an existent being.

Her father, Frederick, talked about Minerva a lot of times, how kind and thoughtful she was (_was_, Annabeth thought bitterly), how smart and beautiful she was, how she can make the manliest person in the world cower in fear with just one look, how Annabeth was so much like her. All of these were mentioned even when Frederick was already with someone else.

Frederick told Annabeth different stories about her mother every time she thought that she wasn't wanted. He would always say in the end, "I will always want you, sweetheart. I _need_ you."

Annabeth would always feel better after that. But something kept poking in the back of her mind as she grew older to understand.

She was an accident.

Just like Percy.

Annabeth couldn't explain it herself, and she was supposed to be logical. But for some inconceivable reason, she has connected with Percy in a very deep level. They understood each other more than anyone else even with only the two-week time they've known each other.

_It's just because we are under the same circumstances_, Annabeth thought defensively.

Just the thought of him made her heart flutter. Why did all her thoughts always wander to him even when she was supposed to be moping around with a song that hardly has any relation with her situation?

She tried to remove him from her mind at the moment, and when she finally did get him out of her mind, she would wonder how she had gotten him out, and you know, that would be the same thing as thinking of him, so he'd be in her head once again. _Ugh!_

_I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healing_

_Take my hand, I give it to you  
Now you owe me, all I am  
You said you would never leave me  
I believe you, I believe_

Annabeth had always been living a life with a set of procedures. Do this, do that. Must read, must study, must listen, must concentrate, etcetera, etcetera. _Must, must, must…_

She went through her first year of high school in San Francisco just like she always did in middle school; making her way through bright white corridors, darting in and out of the throngs of students until she reach her destination, either her class or her locker.

School was the only place where she was able to relax and just concentrate on one thing. Learning.

Despite deep down, she hated it all. She hated that every teacher liked her. She hated that she had to barricade herself from being social. She hated that she was forcing herself into something she didn't completely enjoy. She hated that she had to face the world on her own, even if her father assured her the opposite.

But she had to. She had to get excellent grades. She had to do extra credit. She had to get her priorities straight. She had to focus. Just for the simple reason of getting her mother's attention.

Through the years, she always wondered if it was worth it. Even so, nothing stopped her from doing otherwise.

But now, it was different. She was able to have a new start. With her newfound friends and her mother suddenly deciding to be part of her life, all she had to do was play it safe.

There was only one thing left that bothered her...

_I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healed_

The song ended, much to Annabeth's displeasure. The band bid the crowd farewell, the make-shift stage was moved out, and soon enough, the game has resumed.

The next hour and a half went by pretty swiftly in correlation with what people always say: time flies when you're having fun. Annabeth was completely enjoying her time with her friends; Thalia, Grover, and Nico, along with Ruby and Judd, who joined them after their presentation.

Annabeth got what she was hoping for. Percy making a fool out of himself. He had it coming though.

Goode High was practically dominating the game. And Percy was cocky as ever, foolishly teasing the other team as he ran towards the end zone in a slow-mo fashion. This led to various events happening simultaneously.

A random fan of the opposing team threw a hotdog at Percy which he easily dodged. Percy, not looking ahead and suddenly running at full steam, rammed into a goal post. This caused the crowd from both sides to erupt in laughter, including the players and coaching staff. Even the referees.

Karma. That's all what Annabeth was able to voice out in between laughs. Grover and Nico tried to give each other high-fives, but they were busy laughing to look. Nico unintentionally slapped Grover in the face, who bumped into Judd, who slipped and tripped Ruby, who in turn lost her balance and accidentally shoved Thalia against Annabeth, who was coincidentally standing right next to a man selling hot dogs. And there was nothing more to say.

Other than Karma.

* * *

"Ha-ha-ha… In your face! Literally!" I was heavily laughing at… wait for it… Annabeth! Yes! You read that right. I, Percy Jackson, am laughing at Annabeth Chase, who had ketchup, mayo, mustard, and other unidentifiable sauces all over her face. Not that those matter. The current highlight is Annabeth's artsy face.

"Shut up, you dolt," she growled. We were somewhere at the back of the stadium. I joined them after the game, and I almost had my head bitten off by Annabeth after I pointed a finger at her face and went into hysterics. Which by the way, I'm still doing.

"Yes, your sauciness," I mock-bowed. This led to another round of laughter from the group. I really had to thank the others for making sure that Annabeth didn't wash or clean her face. She'll definitely kick my butt later on, but it'll be worth it.

She was completely red, though I'm not sure if it's because she was fuming with anger, or if she's embarrassed, or if it's because of the sauces. Deep down -way, _way_down-, I kinda felt bad for her since I know how it feels to be humiliated. I mean, I did just embarrass myself in front of hundreds of students just a few minutes ago. And it would take a pathologically insane, exceedingly dense, tremendously thick-headed person (which, by the way, I'm not) to get through the verbal abuse from something as embarrassing as that.

For me though, a sassy-swirly faced Annabeth is enough. It was a moment to cherish. A Kodak moment. I wish I had a camera with me. But I think Annabeth has had enough embarrassment for the night.

"Come on."

She looked at me questioningly… or suspiciously. I wasn't sure since I couldn't decipher the look on her face because of all the sauce, and it was time to clean it all up. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand, dragging her away. The others ignored us since they were still busily laughing their butts off.

"What are you doing?" she asked frantically as I brought her back into the stadium and led her to the girls' bathroom. Escorting her in there is a whole other thing, and I can't imagine how much testosterone I'll lose if I entered the said sanctum.

We stopped in front of the door, and I gave her a look that said 'does that answer your question?'. She rolled her eyes and gave me a look that said 'thanks, I guess'. I shrugged and gave her another look that said 'no problem, now go, I'll wait here'.

I know. Weird, right? We were able to communicate with simple gestures. No words needed. There was even once that we understood each other just by staring. I think it's what people call thought transference. Or telepathy.

Annabeth went in, and I stayed in front of the door like a bodyguard. I didn't worry about someone seeing me since I was sure the place was vacated after the game. Everyone is probably at Sloan's right now. He used to be the school bully back when we were still in Yancy. But when we hit high school, he became a nobody. And this year, he's gunning for being popular. He's hosting the first party of the school year.

I, being popular, am required to attend those kinds of gatherings. But this year, like I said during the very start of classes, it's nice to be different for a change. No more going with the flow. Just being myself. And with Annabeth, I think it's just possible.

And speak of the devil, but actually, angel in this case (you didn't hear that from me), and the devil shall appear.

Annabeth walked out of the ladies' room, her face completely clean from all the sauces. I take back the angel thing I said. She looks like a goddess (you still didn't hear that from me)! I smiled like I have never smiled before, and she looked at me strangely but smiled back anyway.

I didn't know what, but just then, something clicked. And I was about to find out. The hard way.

* * *

Annabeth: You made me look like a fool!

Percy: Me, too!

Annabeth: Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain. That's nothing new for you.

Percy: Hey!

Me: Will you guys _please_ just shut up? It's my story! Deal with it!

Annabeth: Whatever...

Percy: Who's that Judd anyway? Isn't that your na- nnnmmmmppphhhfff, hhhmmm, pppfffttt...

Me: -gags Percy with Nico's other sock- That's all for now. Please review...

Annabeth: -sneaks and whispers- You guys want a sneak peek of his new story? Here...

She was nothing special. A young teenage girl, a bit clumsy, but far more sharp and witty than anyone else. She didn't stand out like the kingdom's most beautiful, but she was just as attractive, if not more, as they were. Maybe if she just let people see her face more, she would be more known. But no, she was just a simple young maiden living in the magical kingdom of Canadia.

Even he didn't see her coming. And laying on the grass with eyes closed didn't exactly help. He just laid there, contemplating the peaceful sound of the outskirts of the kingdom. Really, who would care about a dishwasher out in the open, ruminating on something only he knew about?

Not that it was such a big deal. The sun was setting, and everyone was getting ready to go home for the night, save for the nocturnes that were waiting to get their beer and the girl carefully blending in with her surroundings to catch the young man off guard.

She slowly made her way closer… And closer… Just a little bit more…

Me: Hey! What are you doing!

Annabeth: That's it for now... Bye! -runs off-

Me: Darn that girl! Don't forget to review. -chases Chase-


	8. Sophomore 8

Me: Hey, guys. Yeeeaaah... I know I've been gone for so long. And I apologize. I've been through a lot of things. Jumping from one country to another. Then being bombarded with various works. I hardly had anytime for FF, not to mention myself. But I'm stress-free for the past two weeks. I know I could've updated earlier, but I took my time. Sorry.

And thanks to the ones who tried to keep pushing me to write. But the ones who tried to threaten me, well, not so much.

Percy: Ugh, dude, what are you doing so early in the morning?

Me: It's already past noon, Pea-brain.

Percy: Oh? -falls back to sleep-

Me: -rubs forehead- We had a "Personal Independence Day yesterday". Everything's trashed, and everyone's wasted.

Annabeth: Oh, Luke. You're so hot.

Grover: Foood...

Me: Oh, and Grover is also going to be here with us from now on. We came across him when we were at Singapore Zoo. He was "a very rare species of _Capra hircus._Probably the last of its kind. DO NOT FEED. ESPECIALLY ENCHILADAS."

Anyway... Here's the update. And since I now have more time on me, I'll try to update my other stories the next few days.

* * *

**Sophomore 8: Yummy Swirly**

* * *

"Amazing!" Mr. Blofis trilled, clapping his hands while making his way up the stage. "You two are absolutely fantastic. Just a little more practice on Percy's part, and you two would be perfect!"

I gave Percy a smug look peripherally, but both of us had that same exasperated expression people usually make when they've had enough. I _used _to love Les Misérables. But now, I'm not entirely sure. It's a complete pain in the butt, and it's seriously killing me.

"You two should audition for the leads in the upcoming school play," Mr. Blofis continued, completely ecstatic.

"Leads?" I asked, dumbfounded. Yes, Annabeth Chase was dumbfounded. "Don't juniors and seniors always get the lead parts?"

"Yes. But both of you are such great actors! I'm sure you'll manage," Mr. Blofis stated. For a middle-aged man, not to mention a teacher, he's pretty cheery and carefree.

"But Paul," Percy started, and Mr. Blofis cleared his throat. "I mean Mr. Blofis. I'm already busy with the team, and then there are the you're-the-year-representative-you-should-be-involved activities."

Mr. Blofis didn't bother replying. He just smiled slyly and gave Percy a wink. He then turned to the rest of the class and dismissed all of us just as the bell rang.

Percy and I walked out of the room along with Nico after that, Percy still having that weird dazed look on his face ever since Paul winked at him. He looked like a kid looking forward to opening his presents on Christmas morning.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I gave him a 'yeah, right' look. "I'm _fine_. Really."

"Yeah. He's totally fine. He's just trying to figure out a way to wreck Paul's Prius again when he lets Percy drive it if he decides to audition," Nico explained. Ah, so that's what the whole winking charade was all about.

"It was an accident!" Percy protested. I raised an eyebrow in question, but they just completely ignored me like I'm some ghost. Yeah, _that _explains everything._Annabeth Chase, 16, died in utter humiliation in the middle of Goode High School due to inexplicable reasons of her sudden insanity, and is now constantly stalking her friends._ And then, they would look for someone to get rid of me. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters.

Forgive me for my sudden silliness. Sometimes, I question my own sanity.

"Says you," Nico scoffed. "But _seriously_, you guys should audition."

"Oh, yeah, sure. And next thing you know, people would be asking for our autographs. That's definitely on top of my must-accomplish list," I said sarcastically.

"I'm _serious_. Honestly, I think Paul's right. As ridiculous as it may sound, you two are actually pretty good," he continued.

"Is that what the teletubbies told you through their tummy tv?" Percy mocked. That set me off laughing. How Percy does it? I would never know.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, you guys should think about it."

And with that, he set off to his next class. Percy looked like he didn't care in the slightest bit. But as for me, well, it left me thinking. I mean, why not, right? I don't have anything better to do. Unlike Percy, all I'm ever busy about are homeworks, assignments, and projects. Maybe it's time to widen my horizon.

"Let's audition," I declared suddenly, surprising even myself. Sure, I thought about it, but I didn't mean for it to slip right out of my mouth.

"Ha-ha. Good one," Percy replied, chuckling. If that was a joke -which was not by the way- it was so lame, I couldn't believe someone like him would actually laugh. How low can he go. I glared at him, letting him know that I was serious.

"You're serious?" he asked, surprised. I gave him a look that said 'duh!'.

"Fine, don't believe me," I huffed, crossing my arms and storming off ahead of him. Even though I had my back at him, I was sure he rolled his eyes at me. I knew him like that much.

He caught up to me and grabbed me by the shoulder, stopping me at my tracks. "That won't work with me, you know," he stated, turning me to face him.

"I know," I answered. "That's why I'll make you a deal." He raised an eyebrow in question and amusement, and I whispered to him my idea.

"Ha-ha. Now, _that's _a good one," he laughed, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Are you done?" I asked, folding my arms.

He held a hand up. "Wait." And he continued laughing. _Boys._ "Okay. I'm done. So, how is it going to work?"

"After classes this afternoon. One lap around the oval. I win, we audition," I stated firmly.

"What if I win?"

"What makes you think you'll win?"

"Fine. Be like that," he scorned in defeat, making me smirk in victory. "Beating you is good enough for me."

"Whatever. So, do we have a deal?" I challenged, waiting for him to shake my raised hand. He didn't even hesitate. This is too easy. And for you guys who still haven't caught on, the deal's a race. It's quite obvious, but I just thought I should point that out. No need to thank me.

"Now that we're done with that, I've been meaning to ask you something," he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his tone suddenly changing from teasing to serious. Somehow, it made me kind of nervous.

"What's that?" I asked warily.

"Well, I was just wondering…" he trailed off. What's with all the suspense? Why am I being this expectant? And why am I even asking you all these rhetorical questions?

"Yeah?"

"What's the status of plan _get-Nico-publicly-humiliated-in-front-of-the-school_?" I nearly slapped myself in the forehead. I wasn't really expectant of anything, but that was just so like Percy.

"God, you are so annoying," I groaned. I wonder why I didn't see that one coming. He's been asking me the same thing over and over again for the past two weeks.

"That's what you've been telling me for, oh what, the past month and a half?" he goaded.

"I'm glad you noticed. And I hope you also noticed what I've been trying to tell you the past two weeks."

"What's that?"

"That I'm still working on it. Patience is a virtue, my dear boy."

"Blah, blah, blah," he mocked, quacking his hand. "You and your wisdom. You know, you're too wise for your own good," he said, poking me at the side of my head.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh. It's a gift." _And a curse_. I added thoughtfully.

"Well then, we'd better put your _gift_ in to good use. We have an exam in Algebra next," he grinned mischievously.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no. No," I exclaimed, emphasizing each word. Wow. That's a lot of no's. "Absolutely not. We are not going to use my _gift _for your personal gain."

"Oh, come on!" he whined like a little kid. It's times like this that I wonder why others think Percy is so hot. I mean, seriously. Whining like some rich spoiled brat? That's a total turn off. If others still think that's attractive, I'm really going to question the current state of mankind.

And if you've noticed that I kept on using the word 'others' instead of 'girls', well, your thoughts are right. Girls aren't the only ones that think Percy is 'so hot'. Boys do, too. And not just gay boys, but 'boy' boys. Riiight… That didn't exactly make any sense.

"Please? It's not my fault I can't understand the words coming out of Ms. Eldera's mouth. What's with _eev you transpoz x in tee equazion, you vill be able to get tee correct zoluzion_," he continued with weird hand getures, and that sent me to hysterics. I should give Percy more credit. He got Ms. Eldera's accent just right.

"Fine. Since obviously, you've been paying attention, and because you said please, maybe I'll cut you some slack," I replied. "I'll reconsider."

Understanding that I didn't mean what I said, Percy grimaced and groaned as we entered our classroom. "Look who's annoying," he muttered under his breath, completely dejected. He's probably going to fail another quiz. Poor guy. I patted him on the shoulder as we took our seats. He gave me a scowl before leaning back in his chair with casual elegance that would make girls swoon over him. Fortunately, I'm not like other girls. I just stuck my tongue out at him. Childish? I think not.

"Miz Chaze, eev yer tan flirting wit Mizter Jackzon, pleaze prepare yerzelf for tee tez," Ms. Eldera exclaimed. I resisted the urge to scowl at her. Seriously? Flirting with Percy? Like… yuck! Never in my entire life will I do such a thing. He's my… well, now that I think about it... he's _like _my best friend.

I mean, sure, it takes a long time to know if one is to be deemed as your best friend. Aside from that, Percy's not exactly a prime candidate to be Annabeth Chase's best friend, maybe not even a friend, what with all of the differences between us. And there's Thalia, Ruby, Judd, and since I don't really have that many friends to consider, let's just add Nico and Grover to the list. But the way I've connected with Percy on some level, which at present has only ever happened with him, counts for something, though I don't know what.

I've had many friends before. Well, actually, they were more like acquaintances than friends. Just people to hang out with. Not exactly the people you can share your secrets with, and definitely not the people you know you can rely on and will understand you under whatever circumstances.

This sucks. 'Cause I've just realized that I've never really had a _true _friend. How much more a best friend. Just another thing to add to Annabeth Chase's list of loner-someness and inability to be sociable.

But with Percy, I never really exerted any effort to be friends with him. The thought didn't even cross my mind. Things just somehow… clicked. Like it was meant to be. I know, it's giving me the creeps, too.

I took a quick glance at Percy, who was sluggishly slouched on his chair, lazily playing with his pen that he calls Riptide. The story behind it is something I have yet to know. But as of now, while I'm looking at him, even with all of the mysteries about him that I'm still not informed of, I can definitely say that he _is _indeed my _best_ friend. Not that I'm desperate. He just is.

He's easy to talk to and fun to laugh with. He understands me just as I understand him. As weird as it may sound, there are times that our thoughts are on the same wavelength. Then there's the issue with listening. He actually pays attention to things I say. Well, at least most of the time. And even though we've only known each other for some time, I can firmly say that I could trust him with my life.

I can't believe how low I've gotten. Possibly somewhere in between extremely low and that song by Flo Rida.

Anyway, now that we've figured that out (you helped, really), I guess it's time to _reconsider _a few things. I know, I'm going to have to compromise a few personal rules, but you risk a few things for your best friend, right?

"Psst," I whispered to Percy, and of course I made sure that no one else heard or noticed. I may not be the kind of person that does these kinds of stuffs, but I am well aware of how things work.

Percy had his face scrunched up in concentration. I did it right by not having anyone notice. To my dismay, Percy didn't, too.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, with all the time we consumed in conversing, the test started minutes ago. Sorry?

"Psst," I repeated, this time successfully getting Percy's attention. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, and I pointed to my test paper. He instantly got what I was trying to tell him and he gave me that mischievous grin of his. I'm pretty sure you know what we were up to, so I'm not going to give away the details anymore (you don't need to know).

_What have I gotten myself into?_

That was the only thing running through my mind the entire time we were taking the exam and… doing other things.

The rest of the day was uneventful. And I would like to mention that we never got caught with our… little racket. Heh.

Let's just move on to the highlight of the day.

"Ready?"

"Ready when you are."

"Let's get this over with. Ready."

"You said that already."

"Percy!"

"Alright, alright."

"Getsetgo!"

"Hey!"

Percy's cry was a futile attempt because I've already started sprinting as fast as I could. It may seem unfair, but hey, it's not my fault he's not alert.

It was just one lap around the oval. No biggie. Well, at least that was what I tried to convince myself as I maneuvered myself for the first curve.

I was part of the track and field team back in San Francisco. One lap is nothing to what we used to do during practices and training. But I was definitely out of shape. I haven't run or jogged in months. Note to self: start doing morning jogs.

We used to do a lot of exercises. We'd run more than 10 laps, do 100-meter dashes, and the one that usually drained all of our strength is something we call "goldfish droppings". I've had so many memories with the team back in California. Hmm…

Let's just get back on track. (Ha-ha. No pun intended.)

As I was saying, the exhaustion started to slowly make its way all over my body. I could feel the muscles of my feet giving in to the fatigue. My breaths were already in ragged intervals. And it was just after the first curve for crying out loud! It's like I'm even worse than some fat dude with a blubber-like belly trying to lose even just a single calorie.

Sorry for the very lame simile. My brain is already running on empty. To be more precise, _I _am running on empty.

I ask myself again, _What have I gotten myself into?_

To think it was my idea to do this in the first place. I can't afford to lose. Never mind the deal about auditioning for the play. I wasn't entirely into doing that anyway. This is about me deflating Percy's pride and have him sulk gloomily in the shadows. Okay, that sounded a bit harsh. Let's just go with 'me trying to humble Percy down'. Yeah, that sounds a little bit better.

You know what? We keep on drifting away from what I should be concentrating on for now. Percy has already caught up to me. He's right behind me, trying to draft since I'm already slowing down, and we're just halfway through. I'll just have to push myself to the limit. Surely, I'll be able to hold on for just a few more moments. I've pushed myself hard countless times. Just like that time…

_You're too weak._ The voice echoed in my head.

My body suddenly felt numb. I couldn't hear anything, not even the sounds of my feet treading on the ground. The only thing I could hear was my uneven breathing. My vision started to blur, and the world around me was spinning. No, I think I was the one who was spinning, like I was inside a washing machine. Gah, that's actually not the issue at hand.

I could already see the line a few feet ahead. _Just a little longer._ _Can't show weakness…_

And that's when I lost my balance and tripped! Remember what I said about Percy being right behind me? Any guesses on what happened next? Yep! That's right. Percy crashed into me… Again. For like, I-don't-know-what-th time.

I skidded against the ground, getting a few scratches and scrapes. Percy came tumbling after. La, la la la, la la la…

Even though I was beat-up and barely conscious, the one thing my mind was worried about was "Who won!"

My chest was rising and falling rapidly, my breathing still uneven, and my eyes were slowly drooping. I'd really like some ice cream right now. I was feeling extremely tired, not to mention tediously hot.

The last thing I remember seeing before drifting to unconsciousness were Percy's faces swirling in front of me. There was like six of them, all shouting something that I couldn't comprehend. I think he was saying ice cream. Hmm. Swirly. Percy. Ice cream. Percy swirly. Yummy... Okay, let's just stop. I think I've finally lost it.

It was probably after half an hour before I finally came to. In the infirmary.

"Ugh. What time is it?" I asked no one in particular. I clutched my head with one hand. It was throbbing slightly as I tried to sit up.

"It's almost six." I'd know that voice anywhere. It was already six! I take back what I said about half an hour passing. More than two hours have passed.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked as I opened my eyes. The blinds on the windows were slightly opened. It was becoming dark outside.

"I couldn't just leave you here. You're welcome by the way," Percy said as he strode next to the bed I was on.

"How did I get here?"

"Uhm, I carried you? Someone like you should've figured that out," he said conceitedly. I resisted the urge to glare at him and tried to thank him instead, but no words came out of my mouth. _Stupid tongue. _"Katie has already cleaned you up. I'll just tell nurse Melanie that you're already awake so you could get released."

_Come on, tongue. Work. T-h-a-n-k-s. That's not so hard, right? It's just one simple word. _"Hey, uhm… thanks."

Percy was already on his way out of the door, but he stopped as soon as the words came tumbling out of my mouth. Great. How much more embarrassment can I get myself into. I closed my eyes as I prepared myself for the barrage of teasing insults. But they never came. Instead, he said, "No problem."

It was after I heard the door close that I was finally able to open my eyes, completely bewildered. I knew Percy was kindhearted and nice, but I certainly didn't expect him to just turn down this opportunity of harassing me with lousy remarks.

I shook my head. I should've known better. He's not like that.

I stood up and went for the mirror to examine myself.

He's not just a good friend. He's not just someone I can call best friend. He's more than that. He's…

I gasped inwardly as I took a look at myself on the mirror. That… that jerk! Printed on my forehead in bold, blue letters was the word "LOSER". I really should've known better. I should've since this coming. It's something to be expected of Percy. I'll definitely get him back for this.

But despite the fact that I've been humiliated, not to mention terribly worn out, I was laughing at myself.

I just found someone I can rely on. A true friend.

That never ceases to annoy me.

* * *

Me: -yawns- That's it for now. I'm still a bit rusty since I haven't been writing the past few months, and I'm pretty much wasted and worn out. Please forgive me. And don't forget to review. It'll definitely boost my spirit into writing faster.

Percy: Dude, what are you rambling about?

Me: Dude, stop calling me dude. You don't have the right.

Percy: Whatever, dude.

Me: -yawns- Good -yawns- mornoonight.


	9. Sophomore 9

Me: Yo! I'm back with another chapter. Basing on the hits I've gotten, it seems I've lost a few readers, but hopefully after a few chapters, I'll gain some more.

Grover: Hey, you haven't introduced me yet!

Me: Grover, I'm pretty sure they know who you are. And you were very wasted when I told them you were staying here.

Grover: I wasn't _wasted_ like you guys. I just had too much tin cans. I haven't had any when I was in that stupid zoo.

Annabeth: -rolls eyes-

Me: -sighs- Anyway, I'm still easing into writing again, so cut me some slack.

Percy: What's with the title anyways? I don't get it.

Annabeth: Since I don't get it either, I finally understand what it feels like to be inside Percy's mind.

Percy: Hey!

Me: Guys, cut it out. Let's just get on with the story. You'll find out about the title later.

* * *

**Sophomore 9: Percy and the Playpen.**

* * *

"Freedom!" Nico and Grover roared as they burst through the school's main doors.

Yes. Freedom. "For three nights and two days," I reminded them.

"If it's indeed bona fide freedom-"

"-it's freedom regardless of the amount of time."

I rolled my eyes. They may have sounded awesome, but there's nothing creepier than Judd and Ruby finishing each other's sentences. They're not even going out, so they don't have the right to do anything remotely couple-like in nature. So what if they grew up together and are best friends. That doesn't give them an exception.

"So, Percy Jackson, hosting a pajama party. That's new," Thalia goaded.

"First of all, it's not something new. We've been having sleepovers since we were kids," Percy retorted defensively. "Second, it's _not_ a _pajama_ party. We're just going to hang out. And have a sleepover. It's a simple get-together."

"A get-together _is _a party," I replied. Percy glared at me.

"Fine. Then we'll just hang out. Eating, drinking, or whatever," he answered.

"Technically, any gathering involving eating, drinking, and any sort of entertainment is considered a party," I pointed out.

"Then we won't have any eating, drinking, or any sort of entertainment for that matter."

"It's still a social gathering with guests. It's still a party."

"Then-"

"Oh, come on you guys. We're supposed to be having some fun!" Ruby interjected as she put herself in-between me and Percy. I didn't even notice that we were already standing so close to each other's faces. "Let's try to lower the ticking-each-other-off to a minimum, shall we? Now, you sir. Go lead the way." She pushed Percy to the front.

Percy grumbled incoherently as he started to walk in front of us all; me, Ruby, and Thalia a few feet behind Percy, Judd, Grover, and Nico. Ruby then put an arm around my shoulders, a very playful smile drawn on her face. "You two seem to be getting close."

"Too close, if I do say so myself," Thalia put in affectedly. What the heck were they talking about?

"Where have you two been the past two months when we practically tried to kill each other?"

"Oh. But all I ever saw were two lovebirds flirting with each other," Ruby teased, laughing. Thalia laughed along with her.

"I do _not_ flirt, most especially with Percy. And… wait, what?" I don't know how red my face got, but I definitely felt it heat up at a very impossible temperature. Lovebirds? What the heck!

"Aww… Annabeth's blushing. We're just playing with you. No need to be so embarrassed," Thalia razzed. Then she narrowed her eyes. "But I do have to warn you. You wouldn't want to get it _on_ with my cousin, if you know what I mean. But if you do get it on, don't give it up so easily, 'kay?"

"Yeah. You should make him work hard for it. Or more so, you should make him beg," Ruby said resolutely, a glint of something… evil in her eyes.

"W-w-what are you talking about?" I stuttered, my face turning into even more shades of red. But they just laughed and left my question hanging in the air. Don't I have such great friends?

Anyway, it was a friday night and for no apparent reason, Percy asked us to hang out at his -and Nico's (he keeps on insisting)- apartment. Eat, drink, watch a movie, eat, drink, and so on, and so forth. It may sound boring and lame at first, but now that we're on our way, I'm actually feeling a bit hyped. Other than camping out, this is the only other time I get to hang out with friends overnight. Even on group projects, I don't invite others to come over at our place. And vice versa.

By the way, we're not going to be _drinking. _Just drink. Okay, that didn't exactly make any sense. My point is, we're still minors, and we definitely don't plan on violating any municipal rule any time soon. And another thing I do want to point out is that _drinking_ isn't a necessity to have fun. Remember that kids.

As soon as we arrived at Percy's apartment, everybody instantly scattered around the living room and the kitchen. Nico and Grover plugged in a game console to the television and started playing a game that featured weird looking people/monsters, and they started screaming at each other as they got down with it. Ruby and Thalia sat down on the couch talking about… girl stuff. Percy and Judd went to the kitchen, saying they were going to prepare the food.

As for me, I was just freely moving around the apartment. It wasn't too shabby like I expected it to be since it did consist of two feeling-bachelor teenagers as residents. I was expecting trashed couches, no-longer-edible foods sticking out from unreachable areas, wretched smell coming from not-to-be-mentioned places, undies scattered everywhere… You get the point. But surprisingly, the apartment was unbelievably… neat. I know. It's very hard to take in. And no, I haven't completely lost my mind. Yet.

Everyone seemed to be busy with their own thing, so I stepped out into the small balcony by the window. I watched the slow descent of the sun behind the high-rise buildings and took in the cold night air. It wasn't refreshing like in San Francisco, but it was calm and cool, exactly like how I wanted it to be. It made me think a little more clearly, despite all the noise coming from the whole city.

It's been ten weeks since we moved here. It was surprisingly easy to adapt to the new environment, and who would have expected that I'd find friends at the very start of classes. Yeah, I was definitely settled here in New York, something I haven't even meant to do. And I was… happy, which surprised me big time.

The only thing I need to deal with now are three more agonizing years of high school. And accomplish what my mother instructed me to do. I know I'm risking hurting… people. But I just need to play it safe. I know I'll be able to pull it off. I _am _smart and wise, and I just hope that my self-confidence isn't deadly pride that would most probably lead to my downfall.

Ugh. Why am I thinking about stuffs like these when I should be having a "good night". (Nico and Grover kept singing on our way here, "I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night.")

Out of nowhere, the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up. I quickly swiveled to look at the creeper. "What the heck!" I yelped. Why do I keep repeating the same thing over and over again. Weird day.

Standing behind me, or at least before I turned around, was the tall and lean Judd Livingston. He would've easily passed the ninja exam at the ninja academy, that is if they were in existence. He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side to look behind me. "What's so interesting… about the opposite building?"

I don't know why I was suddenly embarrassed, but I just somehow blurted out, "The wall." Classy…

His eyebrows shot up even higher, baffled and amused. "Uh… you know… Its texture and its color tone. It's actually very interesting," I continued. Great. Just when I thought I couldn't embarrass myself even further.

"Uhm. Yeah. Sure," he said, slightly fazed. "Anyway, we're about to start the movie. We're just waiting for you."

"Oh. Alright."

"Ruby told me how you liked architecture, but I didn't know you were _this _much into it," he exclaimed, what seemed to be a half-smile playing across his lips. He marched back in, and now that I'm back to reality, I could clearly hear all of them call for me.

I sighed. It always amazed me how the wall could occupy so much time. All I ever do is stare at it, and somehow, I think that without walls, the world just might come to an end. Well, architecturally speaking, the world might indeed come to an end if we didn't have walls. Without walls, establishing any kind of structure wouldn't be possible. And if there weren't any kind of structure, there won't-

I'm boring you, aren't I? Never mind.

I went back inside to see everyone positioned, ready to start movie night. The guys were on the sleeping mats set on the floor while Ruby and Thalia were on the couch, waiting for me to sit beside them. "So, what are we going to watch?" I asked as I flopped down on the couch.

"Tonight is all about keeping ourselves from going to sleep," Grover said excitedly.

"We're going to freak the hell out of ourselves!" Nico added, giving Grover a high-five. _Boys. I'd never understand them._

"Uhm, what?" I asked Thalia in a low voice. She was sitting next to me.

"Horror," she replied, a hint of her own excitement in her voice. She handed me a bowl of popcorn since I was sitting in the middle of her and Ruby.

Grabbing a handful of popcorn, Ruby asked, "Which one are we going to watch first?"

"Let's start with something for the faint hearted," Percy replied, grinning widely, his eyes settling on me. That jerk! Ever since he found out that I didn't get along pretty well with anything relatively Horror in nature, he's been using it against me. That vampire dude just had to look so terrifying with all the mascara and foundation he put on. And advertising their costumes was no excuse to scare the hell out of a lovely person. Even the kids looking at costumes for halloween laughed at me. And I don't even know why I'm recalling that incident at a time like this.

I shot Percy a dark look. This is clearly all his doing. My first movie night with them, and the genre is Horror? Oh, come on…

He grabbed a DVD case from the stand next to their TV set. He took out the disc and put it into the player. Thus, started my night in hell (AKA Percy's apartment).

Nico groaned as the film started, showing a man standing on the balcony of a high-rise building. "Dude, we've watched that countless times already."

"But you still wet your pants every single time." Nico glared at Percy and started saying some unnecessary things. I ignored their tirade and kept my eyes on the movie. The man flinging himself over the balcony definitely caught my attention. And for some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen, despite the fact that the movie was completely gruesome and scary. Scary is an absolute understatement.

For the next 5 hours, we watched The Grudge series. Halfway through the second movie, I accidentally spilled the bowl of popcorn on Percy since he was sitting right in front of me. It was completely unintentional. Or was it? No one will never know.

None of us bothered to get a new batch of popcorn since no one was supposedly hungry. More like everyone was afraid to leave the group and be alone.

Everyone shivered at some parts. But it seemed that I was the one who was most scared. I easily got frightened by horror and thriller films, it annoyed me so much. And Percy using that against me was even more annoying.

After watching number 3, everyone agreed to watch something a little more entertaining, instead of something more -and not even less- horrifying.

And to remain true to Horror night, Percy picked an apparently horror-comedy movie.

"Zombieland! I'll never get enough of the zombies," Grover exclaimed, surprisingly enthusiastic. After the second movie, he was clutching his knees, rocking back and forth, murmuring "mommy" and "daddy" countless times.

"It's not that great of a movie," Judd said, appearing calm and unshaken as usual, trying to hide the fact that he was trembling and hiding halfway underneath the cover of the sleeping bag he was in throughout all three movies. "But Emma Stone is exceptionally hot in there than her previous appearances, so I don't exactly mind."

The boys seemed to agree, but we girls just snorted. Sexist pigs. Like a great philosopher once said, 'Boys will be boys', the song by The Ordinary Boys. You should know that singers and artists are our modern day philosophers.

Percy put in the movie, and we started to watch a gory fake-blood filled movie. It was excessively disgusting, but oddly very funny. And how weird is it that I was the only one who noticed Percy's name being mentioned. Not to mention that this was my first time watching the movie, and it was probably the others' hundredth time.

One line in the movie stuck to me though. 'Better you make the mistake of trusting us, then us making the mistake of trusting you'. I didn't mean it to be that way, but it seems Percy just made the mistake of trusting me.

The plan was to remain awake until sunrise, but even before Zombieland ended, one by one, the others started falling asleep. Nico and Grover fell asleep almost at the same time. Ruby was sleeping in an uncomfortable position beside me, so Judd carried her and placed her peacefully in the empty sleeping bag next to him. If I knew any better, those two were already a couple.

When the movie finished, Thalia yawned, said her goodnight, and went to settle in her own sleeping bag. Almost instantaneous, she dozed off.

Percy went to a room that I assumed was his. I somehow felt bummed that he wasn't going to sleep with us. But I guess he'd feel more comfortable sleeping in his own room.

That just left me. I was the only one who hasn't set a sleeping bag since I was on the balcony contemplating when they did theirs. After setting up mine next to Thalia, I lied down and stared at the ceiling for minutes. With the lights still on (everyone was too scared to turn them off), and Nico and Grover filling the room with their soft snores, I just couldn't quite sleep yet.

I stood up because I didn't feel like lying down at the moment. Everyone seemed to be asleep now. I guess I was staring at the ceiling for too long. Like walls, it also amazed me how ceilings could occupy so much time. They're not really interesting, but for some reason, you just have to stare at them every chance you get.

Knowing just where to clear my mind off of things, I sauntered back to the balcony.

Much to my pleasure, it's never dark in Manhattan, whether it's eleven o'clock in the evening or three o'clock in the morning. Even though it was way past midnight, lights were still blaring throughout the city that never sleeps. You could hear various sounds; bar music blasting from blocks away, car horns echoing along the alleys, people talking across the street. It was just too lively for my personal taste. But it still fascinated me, even after weeks of adapting to unfamiliar territory.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," I replied.

"Well, you should, but you _can't_. This is _my _balcony that you're standing on." He had a point. A logical one at that.

Percy came and stood next to me, setting a plate on the ledge of the balcony. It was a plate of what looked like normal chocolate-chip cookies except they were colored blue. He had two mugs, and he handed me one. I gave him a questioning look. "What's this?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not poisoned."

I chuckled in spite of myself and took a sip. "Hot chocolate," I said softly.

He smiled and started drinking his own hot chocolate. "I spend a lot of time out here to think of things, especially when I'm stressed and stuff. My mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies with a complementary mug of hot chocolate are what usually put my mind at ease."

"Mm-hm," I replied wordlessly, drinking more of the hot chocolate. I heard every word he was saying, but I just couldn't quite comprehend what he was trying to tell me. The hot chocolate was definitely putting me in a trance. My mind felt hollow, and I just felt… weightless.

Percy was snickering at me. I probably had a weird dazed expression on my face since that was exactly what I was feeling at the moment. "This isn't drugged or anything, right? I'm not getting high or whatever?"

"You're just getting used to the magic of hot chocolate." Even though I was feeling a little lightheaded, I'm still able to think clearly, and I wasn't going to set aside the fact that he didn't answer my first question.

I glared at him. "You're not talking about magic mushrooms, right? That would explain a lot."

"Okay, you got me," he said, raising both hands in the air. I pushed him lightheartedly with my free hand, and we laughed. He slid the plate of cookies closer to me.

"Why are they colored blue?" I asked, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite. Percy was eating them, so I assumed they were safe even if they looked very unusual.

"It's my mom's favorite color," he explained, a hint of longing in his voice. "She used to spoil me with blue food when I was a kid. After a while, it became a family tradition."

"You miss her," I stated.

"Yeah," he nodded, fiddling with his mug. "There are some things you just can't grow out of."

I just nodded, dipping a cookie in my mug before biting it. We remained in comfortable silence, taking in the cool night air and just listening to the endless honking of cars on the streets.

"You didn't answer my question," Percy started, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" I asked, drinking more of the hot chocolate.

"What were you doing out here?"

"Nothing," I lied. In truth, I was thinking about my mom… and the things that she told me.

Percy frowned at me. "I take it you don't want to tell me what's bothering you."

I held the mug I was holding with both hands and stared down at it. "How did you know I was out here anyway?"

"Because I know you."

I bumped him with my shoulder in a playful manner, and he looked at me and smirked. We stayed there for quite some time, drinking hot chocolate and eating blue chocolate-chip cookies. And just talking and laughing about random stuffs; from constellations to Greek Mythology to aliens to Justin Bieber. How it got there, I don't even want to recall.

"Thanks," I said, handing him back the now-empty mug.

"No problem," he replied. He just stared at me for a moment, like he was figuring something out. Or there was probably something on my face. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand to make sure that there was no chocolate. That caught his attention, and he smirked. "Uhm, we should probably get back in, and you know, get some sleep."

"Yeah," I nodded. We walked back in, and Percy went straight to the kitchen. I slipped into my sleeping bag and pulled the covers over me, surprisingly feeling a little giddy. I don't remember Percy coming back because I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

* * *

Percy strode back into the living room and saw Annabeth slumped down in her sleeping bag, fast asleep. She looked peaceful and sweet when she was sleeping, he commented. A _lot_ different to when she was awake, not to mention when she was PMS-ing. He shook his head, realizing what he was doing.

"Stop it," he hissed at himself. He checked on the others doing their rather weird sleeping antics. Not that he couldn't say that to himself. He did _still _drool in his sleep.

Swiftly making his way to the couch were he was going to get some shut-eye, he sighed and slumped down. Since this is _his_ apartment, he doesn't exactly need a sleeping bag to sleep in, even if he had one.

He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. He stared at it for so long without blinking, he swore it moved._ Great. Now, I'm losing my mind. _He thought.

He rolled onto his side and instantly, his eyes darted back to Annabeth's face. He felt something stir in his tummy, but he was already fast asleep before he could figure out what it was, a soft smile gracing his face without him even realizing it.

* * *

Grover: Zombieland is just pure awesomeness.

Me, Percy, and Annabeth: For the hundredth time, we know, Grover. You can't get enough of zombies.

Percy: Are you going to tell us now why the title is like that?

Me: Yeah, yeah. So, Percy and the Playpen is the line that was mentioned in the movie that included Percy's name. If you have watched the movie and didn't notice that, watch it again and look for it. If you haven't watched the movie...

Grover: Watch it! It's just pure...

Me, Percy, and Annabeth: Awesomeness! We know!

Me: Well, that's it for now. Review please.


	10. Sophomore 10

Me: I'm back! After, uhh... 4 months! I know, I know. Too long. I've just been really busy.

Grover: Yeah, right. Busy. Ha. That's what you say all the time.

Me: And what are you doing here?

Grover: Well, Annabeth is going around with those new guys for the book tour. And Percy, well, he figured since he's supposed to be missing, he hid somewhere. So, that leaves me with you.

Me: Great...

Grover: Hey! What's that supposed to mean.

Me: Oh, nothing. Nothing. I mean, I'm looking forward to hanging out with you! I'm so excited, I'll go change for a minute and then we'll go party!

Grover: Awesome! Anyways... So, guys. We present you another chapter. It's kinda short though. Percy and Annabeth usually do the chapters, and since they're not here right now, this is all we can give you. Enjoy!

* * *

**Sophomore 10: Period.**

* * *

It was just another normal high school day. Well, at least supposedly it was. But when I woke up and figured... that I was on the wrong side of the bed, the day was suddenly not as normal as I initially thought it was going to be. It all started with...

"Will you marry me?"

Silence.

"I'd make a good husband, Jenny."

"Dad!" I shouted from the dining table. "Enough with Forrest Gump, please. If I hear anymore of that 'Mama always said' crap, I will most likely end up just like Forrest."

"Awesome?" he asked, shouting back. I could almost hear the grin he has plastered on his face. This was going far enough. I stood up and went to the living room, leaving my luscious bowl of cereal.

"No, dad. Stupid. If someone asks you about what you dream you're gonna be, you don't go 'Aren't-aren't I going to be me?'. No. You say something sensible like 'I want to be an architect and design the most amazing building in Manhattan'." He swiveled his head and looked at me from the couch. I stood there with my hands on my hips, and he stared at me like I just told him that fish could fly. Oh, wait. Some fishes _can_ fly. Never mind.

"You know Annabeth, there's so much more to life than just being a successful professional. And you're still young! Go live life to the fullest. You can worry about things like accomplishing your dreams when you grow old." He smiled and turned back to watching Forrest Gump.

"Thanks, dad. Those are _exactly_ the words of wisdom I need to live with." I went back to the dining table to finish my cereal. Sometimes I think I'm the parent here and my dad's the child. How more twisted can this world go.

Actually, Forrest Gump isn't _that _bad. I guess I'm just jealous of Forrest 'cause I don't get to say "Mama always said". No. All I could say is "Mama never said she loves me".

Ohh-kay. I think I'm getting overly emotional over something not exactly something to get overly emotional about. Oh right. It was that time... I mean, it's time to go to school.

It was just another routine day; wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, listen to teachers babble about things I already know, pretend to be interested, get annoyed by Percy, try my best not to kill him, etc. You know, normal everyday high school teenager stuff.

"Now, which is heavier, a hundred pounds of iron or a hundred pounds of cotton?" asked our science teacher, Ms. Vesta Burner. We were discussing the difference of weight and mass.

Answering her question was somewhat as easy as figuring out who's hotter, Jacob or Edward. 'Kay, so that just felt wrong for me. But still, you should know that statement is a double entendre. I mean, of course Jacob's hotter. Like _way _hotter. Because Edward's literally dead and cold-blooded, thus he has no body heat. Ugh, bad joke. But seriously though, Jacob's hotter. (Your loss, Bella.)

Anyway, the question was meant to be a trick question, but the whole class had it all figured out. Well, except for Percy, that is. For some reason, he just didn't quite fathom which was hotter. I mean heavier.

"How about… Annabeth?" Ms. Vesta called. I frowned. I am very much not in the mood to recite.

"They weigh the same, so neither of the two is heavier."

"Exactly. Like what we've been talking about earlier, weight is…" Ms. Vesta started, but Percy raised his hand, and she nodded at him. "Yes, Percy?"

"Shouldn't the iron be heavier than the cotton? I mean, this is _iron_ and _cotton_ we're talking about."

"They both weigh a hundred pounds, meaning they amount to the same weight, meaning none of them is heavier," I answered, a little cranky. "What's not to understand about that?"

"Well, how should I put it… If I simultaneously hit you in the head with one hundred pounds of iron and one hundred pounds of cotton, you tell me, which is heavier," he smiled with that cocky smile of his that drove me nuts every time. And in a bad way. Well, maybe sometimes in a good way, but mostly in a bad way.

Our classmates started snickering, and Percy shot me a look, challenging me. I rolled my eyes. Smartass.

Ms. Vesta sighed and she almost did a facepalm, but instead she rubbed her forehead with her palm, completely regretting that she called Percy. If if she finds him annoying just during in her class, I'd like to tell her to try being in my shoes when I get to be with the guy most of the day. Why did he have to be so obnoxious all the time. I know Percy wouldn't be Percy if he wasn't infuriating. But it would be nice if he didn't drive me mad even in class.

Before I could reply, Ms. Vesta called his attention. "Percy, could you refrain from provoking your classmates." Percy frowned and nodded. He looked at me one more time and stuck his tongue out. Of course I did the mature thing and stuck my tongue out right back at him.

"We're still just discussing weight with constant gravity the only force acting upon it," she continued. "Mass is another thing completely, especially when acted upon an external force. There are many properties that need to be considered. The tendency of an object…" I shut her out until the end of the class, since I already know what she was talking about.

I never really meant to be a "know-it-all". I just am. Like I even had a choice. It was hereditary, and I'm just genetically smart. It was what you get when two geniuses reproduce. Like the moment I was born, I was already tagged with "Brainiac. Make sure to make fun of her and make her life miserable.". It still had its upsides though, but the downsides definitely weren't worth it. I guess it was really more of a curse than a blessing.

I've always been treated as some kind of an outcast, and people would just come to me for what I could offer and not for who I am. They would just use me. And what's more depressing with that is that my mother is one of them. If it's someone I don't really know or pretty much care about, whatever. But my own mother, of all people! How more unlucky can I get. I mean, one of two people who's biologically programmed to love me, but even she can't stand being with me, so she just ups and leaves me and my dad.

Ignoring the fact that I got publicly humiliated so much more times this year than all of the other fifteen added together, so far this year is the highest point in my life. Yeah, that's just how sad my life is. I guess the only drawback is getting to be with my mother from time to time. Well, it's not exactly a drawback. It's in the middle of my imaginary positive-negative scale, somewhere along the lines of "getting my tongue cut off" and "falling facedown from a high-rise building". So it's actually not that bad.

"Okay, that's it for today," Ms. Vesta finally declared. "I'll dismiss you earlier. Make good use of it."

The bell sounded just as we finished packing our things. So, yeah. We were dismissed earlier alright. Like a minute earlier.

Percy and I slipped out of the room first to avoid the massive clash of students coming out of their rooms. The feeling of obscurity and being just another someone in the middle of a vast sea of faces isn't exactly nice. And not to mention bumping into shoulders here and there, getting stepped on the foot, and getting spilled with a strawberry smoothie. (Yes, that happens. And how someone had a strawberry smoothie while transferring classrooms, I have no idea.)

We have different classes next. Mine is an advanced class, Literature, while Percy's is Chemistry. Why he has two consecutive science classes, well don't ask me. Ask the teacher who failed him. Or better yet, ask Percy himself what he did to get a failing grade. On second thought, there's actually nothing to ask. The only answer to why he failed is because he's Percy.

"Annabeth!" Percy practically shouted in my ear which left it ringing so much, it actually gave me physical pain.

"What? God, what is wrong with you." I pushed him aside and he just laughed it off. If he keeps driving me insane, especially with the current state I'm in, I'll go violently crazy and he won't be laughing then.

"You were doing it again, you know."

"Doing what?"

"Doing that thing with your face," he said, circling his face with his finger. "You zone out then you wrinkle your nose and you stare at your feet and your eyes look like they're going a million miles an hour. Your eyebrows go furrowy, it's so weird it's actually kinda cute." He tried to enact each action as he described them to me.

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm too weird to be in the company of… Wait… Did you just call me cute?"

"Uhm, yeah, kind of. Not girly-girl cute, but you know, the-look-you-have-on-your-face-is-so-freakishly-weird-it-makes-me-stare-at-you-and-the-more-I-stare-at-your-face-it's-actually-kinda-cute kind of cute." I wasn't too sure, but I think a blush crept to his face. Or it was probably just me hoping he did blush since I wasn't exactly looking directly at his face. And why was I even hoping for that? You know what, whatever.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Uhm, yes? I still did call you cute, right? So that must mean it was," he replied, arching an eyebrow.

"You do know that 'cute' is mostly used to describe puppies and not humans," I pointed out.

"Well, I'm using it to describe you. Isn't that supposed to make you feel special, since it's not mostly used to describe humans." He was grinning from ear to ear. Oh, yeah. He was loving this alright. Making me eat my own words.

"_Well_, for your information, cute puppies are more likely to grow into ferocious dogs. And if you keep calling me _cute_, I'll do something more _ferocious_ to you than biting you and giving you rabies." I actually growled like a dog (something is very wrong with me), and I'm assuming I was able to pull it off since Percy didn't laugh at me.

"Fine. Look, I was just trying to tell you that you... You know..." He murmured something and looked away.

"What?" I looked at him expectantly. He sighed and turned to look back at me.

"I was trying to tell you that you're pretty." We stayed like that for a few seconds, just staring eye to eye. I felt my heart beating against my chest so hard and fast, it was starting to actually hurt.

"Oh. Ohh-kay? Thanks, I guess." It was my turn to look away 'cause I felt my cheeks heating up. What was I being embarrassed about. I mean, this was just Percy. And he was just complimenting me, right? Not like there was anything more to it... Right?

"Ayt. So, I'll see you later," he said, looking away.

"Uhh, yeah, sure, whatever." Nice. Very smooth, Annabeth. He stared at me with a weirded-out look, raising an eyebrow yet again. Thankfully, he marched off before I blabbered even more. You just got to hate teenage hormones.

Just as I was about to enter the classroom, someone grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me around. "What the-"

"Where's Percy?" It was just Nico. But he was acting extremely un-Nico-ish. And he looked seriously alarmed like there was actually something he cared about for once.

"Uh, are you okay?" I asked, removing his hands from my shoulders and looking down. I could still feel the hormones surging through my veins and my cheeks were heating up again. Was it weird that I was expecting it to be Percy turning me around and kissing me? Why do I feel disappointed? And why do I keep asking you?

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm good," he rambled. Well, aside from being all sweaty, his trembling hands, and twitching eyes, he was fine alright.

"Are you sure?" I narrowed my eyes. "You look like you're about to have a seizure."

"Oh. Ha-ha. That's a good one," he laughed nervously. "Look, I just really need to know where Percy is. Like right now." If there wasn't something wrong, then I'm a brunette.

"You two have Chemistry together next, right?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Oh. Right. Right," he said, scratching his head like the thought hasn't crossed his mind. "Well, thanks. I gotta go." And off he went, sprinting to his class. I wondered what could be wrong to get Nico all freaked out. Before I could think anything more about it, the bell rang.

As I went into the room, my eyes instantly darted to the two empty chairs in the middle. One was mine. The other was Thalia's. She was never late.

Throughout the duration of the class, my thoughts darted from one thing to another. First, I wondered what made me want to kiss Percy. I mean, sure, it was that time of the month for me... Oh right. I bet that's the reason. Yeah, definitely that. Totally. And nothing more.

Then I got worried as I thought more about what's going on with Nico and Thalia. Nico was freaking out, and he was looking for Percy to maybe inform him about whatever was wrong. Thalia's not in class, and for as long as I've known her, I'm sure she'll never skip class except for a really good reason. It was probably a thing that involved their family or something. And somehow, it felt like I was about to be a part of some twisted form of real-life Family Feud.

I really hoped I was wrong. Too bad I wasn't. I just can't catch a break.

* * *

Grover: Like I told you, it's short. Anyway, where is he... He said it will only take him a minute. Hmm... R&R? I'll just go look for him. Oh, and we'll try our best to update sooner, and with more plot.


	11. Sophomore 11

Me: Look, look! I updated twice in a week! Isn't that just amazing?

Annabeth: Whatever. No one cares.

Me: My readers do! And again, why are you back already?

Annabeth: -glares- You already know why.

Me: Oh, yeah. I remember now. They no longer needed you so they sent you packing! -laughs-

Annabeth: You... you!

Me: -being choked- Air... air... air...

Grover: -sighs- I wish Percy would just come back. These two are driving me insane. A Percy-less Annabeth is something not to mess with. Remember that. Oh, and here's the chapter.

* * *

**Sophomore 11: Accidentally Slipping in Love.**

* * *

Annabeth let out a frustrated breath as she stared at the wall clock on the, uh… wall. She was becoming more troubled for every minute that passed. Sitting in that hellhole class made her feel utterly useless, particularly when she's right next to the empty seat that had "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT" on it.

Although she still appeared to be invisible to everyone, she had friends now, not to mention that her friends consisted of a jock, a school officer, and a lead singer of a band. She was lucky enough to have one, let alone more, and the least she could do is to not mess up. But that doesn't seem to be the case as of the moment. _So much for a new start._

It was uncanny how she hung out with populars and still managed to go unnoticed by anyone. She was one of those types of person who appeared in movies, while walking side-by-side with her friends, someone they pass by says "'sup guys" to all of them except her. Then that same person swings open his locker and whacks her square in the face. It was convenient at times like when she's still half-asleep early in the morning. But the pain wasn't worth it, especially when it ends up sending her to the infirmary time and time again.

But that wasn't the point at the moment. _Well, maybe partly, _she thought bitterly.

When life finally seemed to be turning for the better, something or someone just has to come up and gobble up everything that's good, leaving you with all that is unpleasant then giving you a bad stomach. And when you think you've finally excreted everything, you'll get the stomach flu next. _Wow. Lame metaphor. That's a new low._

Thalia wasn't in class, and with Nico panicking and looking for Percy, it didn't take her wits to figure out that something was up. And she had a feeling it had something to do with her. Well, at least her mother. But of course she's concerned with whatever it was that concerned her mother. And whatever that concerned someone that concerned her mother. And whatever that concerned someone that concerned…

She groaned in discontent at her shifting ADHD thoughts, and tried to focus more on the lecture. It so happens the whole class heard her _silent _grouse just when her teacher was saying something about how great he was in Literature, earning her a very uncomfortable silence and odd cheering looks from her classmates.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Chase?" Mr. Bord asked, his eyebrow arched. "Do you have a problem with the… lesson?"

"No, sir. Please, feel free to continue," was Annabeth's savvy answer. If it was Thalia, she would've retorted with something like, "Yeah. I think our names got mixed up, 'cause I'm Bord and you're Boring."

"Very well. As I was saying…" Mr. Bord continued with his 'lesson'. She scowled and mentally slapped herself. _Way to go, Chase. Great timing._

_Speaking of time_… She looked back at the wall clock and sighed. _Five more minutes_.

Annabeth started tapping her pen impatiently. And being on her period wasn't helping at all. Not that it ever did much good to her, except maybe if she ever felt like destroying the image of girls to some poor schmuck, or maybe poisoning some innocent boy's mind. Oddly enough, her thoughts wandered to more things she could do with her menstruation just as the histrionic menstrual psychopath that she is woke up inside of her and started making her way out.

_Great._ Now she was thinking of ways she could use her period to her advantage. This wasn't the time to be thinking about _that_. Moreover, it wasn't right to be thinking about something that disturbing for that matter.

Thank God the bell rang before her sicko-self could try to take over. It was like some animalistic nature of hers was screaming to burst free from its cage and was slowly clawing its way out. A shiver went down her spine as an image of a hideous beast clawing inside of her popped into her mind.

And that was just about the most repulsive thing she's ever thought of.

Yep, it was official. She's finally gone crazy. And the only person she could think of to blame was Percy. Not that she was thinking about him or anything. It just so happened that he crossed her mind. And not that he crossed her mind all the time. _Oh, shush. Just stop it._

Before Mr. Bord even dismissed them, Annabeth inadvertently scurried to her locker to get her things. She couldn't believe she was actually thinking of skipping class. It was never in her language to disregard proper school principles. She has already cheated in an exam, too. What was next, pull a prank on Bessie and "accidentally" kill her?

On second thought, that didn't sound so bad at all. Except for the "accidentally killing her" part. Because that would be illegal, and it will just end up with her being sent to jail.

It was lunch break, so it won't be too hard for her to sneak out of the school. As she closed her locker, it suddenly hit her. No, not the locker.

She was skipping class, but she didn't even know why, what she was gonna do, and where she was gonna go. It was such an impulsive and idiotic notion for her to suddenly skip class. And she didn't even have a proper reason to do so.

Annabeth Chase supposedly figured everything out _always_. But now, she didn't even give a single thought to what she was about to do.

She slammed her head on her locker and groaned. _What's happening to me?_

"Are you okay?" a voice came from behind her. She stiffened guiltily like she was hiding something and quickly swiveled her whole body around. When she saw it was just Grover, she visibly relaxed.

"Mm-hmm," she replied, forcing a smile. Grover raised an eyebrow. He eventually shrugged it off and bit a chunk out of his carrot stick. Annabeth thought about what was more embarrassing, bringing carrot sticks to school or strolling down school hallways with said carrot sticks hanging down your mouth. Then again, Grover was doing both, so there was no point in that argument.

"So, did you hear?" Grover whispered.

"Hear what?"

"Thalia's in the hospital."

"_What?_"

"Uh… Thalia's in the hospital," he repeated, confused. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I meant, why is she in the hospital," she pointed out.

"But you asked me 'what'," Grover replied, even more confused.

"Just tell me what happened," Annabeth demanded.

"They were in an accident," he explained. Annabeth waited for a few seconds before realizing Grover wasn't about to say anything else.

"That's it?"

"Well, it was a car accident if you were wondering," he stated calmly, taking another bite out of his carrot stick. Annabeth resisted the urge to bang her face on the lockers repeatedly. She let out a long breath, trying to collect herself.

"You said 'they'. Who exactly are 'they'? she asked as she calmed down.

"Thalia, Bianca, and the cab driver."

"Where?"

"Uhm, I don't know. They didn't tell me."

"_Grover_," Annabeth started with gritted teeth, grabbing Grover by the shoulders. "Could you _please_ just tell me everything you know. I don't want to keep asking you."

"Why didn't you say so," Grover grinned, driving Annabeth over the edge. She did her best to not move her hands from Grover's shoulders and strangle him to death. Instead, she removed them and placed them at her sides, clenching and unclenching.

"Well, Thalia and Bianca were about to be late for school, so they had to take a cab instead of walking like usual. Apparently, they asked the driver to speed up, so he did.

"The cab was going very fast, and out of nowhere, a kid suddenly ran across the street. The cab skidded sideways to a stop just in time, but a van going just as fast as their taxi slammed into the passenger side.

"Bianca was on the opposite side so she was fine, and so was the cab driver. But Thalia got most of the impact. They got her to the hospital, and Bianca got a hold of Nico after first period and told him, so he searched for Percy and they both went to the hospital."

"And?" Annabeth asked. Something was poking in the back of her mind. Something seemed… off. She was sure of it, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"That's it," Grover said, putting the last of his carrot stick into his mouth. "Last I heard, they just finished stitching her up. They said she's pretty bruised, but aside from that, she's fine."

"What hospital?"

"St. Luke's-Roosevelt, uptown."

"Thanks." Annabeth fixed the strap of her bag on her shoulder and bid Grover farewell.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked pointedly.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied, not looking back.

"You're actually gonna cut class?" Grover was shocked/stunned/surprised. Annabeth ignored him and kept walking, ceasing to look back. This was one of those decisions that if you looked back, you might just end up walking in that direction.

"Wait!" Grover shouted from behind her causing her to turn around. There goes not looking back. "I'm coming with you."

"What?"

"I'm coming with you," he repetead.

"No, no. I got that. But why?" Annabeth asked.

"Thalia's far more important than school," Grover reasoned, grinning.

"You just want to skip class," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't tell her that," he whispered, and Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. His reasoning wasn't logical, but so was hers.

On their way to the hospital, Annabeth started thinking about how much has changed with her perspective ever since she met her new friends. No longer was she like her previous prudent and conscientious self. This was the new reckless and carefree Annabeth Chase. And she wasn't so sure if she liked it or not.

* * *

"Ugh…"

"Thalia!"

"Sheesh. Bianca, no screaming," Thalia commanded apathetically. "I still happen to have one nerve and you're starting to get on it."

She tried surveying her surroundings. Keyword "tried", so she had no choice but to ask. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Sherlock," Nico replied.

"Ha-ha. Don't push your luck, kiddo. Just because I'm on a hospital bed doesn't mean I can't send you to one of the rooms here," she threatened. That made Nico cringe in fear, much to Thalia's delight.

"Don't you remember anything?" Bianca asked worriedly as she and Percy crowded beside Thalia's bed. Nico stood as far away as possible. He wasn't about to take any chances.

"Not really," Thalia replied as she tried to focus her eyesight. Thoughts were swimming in and out of her mind, making the world around her swirl. "I do remember a very eerie dream."

"What was it about?" Nico asked interestedly from the far end of the room. Percy rolled his eyes. Of course that caught Nico's attention. He has always been interested with anything dark and/or mysterious. Percy thought of a time when Nico still idolized Batman because he was so "Dark and Mysterious".

On that note, Percy remembered seeing a Batman costume hidden inside the closet back at their apartment. He wondered if Nico was telling the truth when he said he "got over" Batman. He'll have to interrogate Nico later about that. They'll have a _nice _long talk_. _And another intervention, if needed.

"Well, I remember dying and getting turned into a pine tree," Thalia stated, refusing Nico's request for her to expound more about the dream. "How long was I out anyway?"

"A couple of hours," Bianca answered.

"Wait. Then that means it's still class hours. Why did you guys come here?" Thalia asked, directing the question to Percy and Nico.

"What do you think? We came here for you. _Duh_," Percy emphasized like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Aww. You guys. That's so sweet," Thalia said very much un-Thalia-like. She stretched out her hands, indicating the both of them to hug her.

Percy and Nico looked at each other and had one of their famous telepathic conversations. _Uh, what? _Nico asked, raising an eyebrow.

_It's probably because of the accident,_ Percy pointed out.

_Did she get hit in the head _that _bad? _Nico wondered, a little worried.

_Maybe. She did mention she doesn't remember anything,_ Percy replied, shrugging.

_Yep. It's definitely because of the accident,_ Percy and Nico reasoned, nodding to themselves. They shrugged and complied. But as they were about to hug Thalia, she grabbed both their heads and knocked them together with a loud _thud_. "You guys are such dolts."

Bianca snickered behind them, earning her a glare from Percy and Nico. "Anyway, I think I should go get a nurse. Be right back."

As soon as Bianca was out, the atmosphere in the room has shifted from its previous light and teasing to one that is tense and serious, and far more serious than it should be.

"You really don't remember _anything_?" Percy asked grimly.

"Just bits before I fell unconscious. I don't even know what I had for breakfast this morning," Thalia voiced out. She shifted on her bed and forced herself in a sitting position. "I do remember noticing a black SUV following us, and that's when I asked the cab driver to speed up."

"And you didn't tell Bianca," Nico said, more of a statement than a question. He already figured it out from hearing Bianca's side of the story because it contradicted with what Percy heard from the cab driver.

"No. She didn't notice. And she doesn't need to know." Thalia looked pointedly at Nico, and he nodded in understanding. "Did you guys find out anything?"

"Nothing yet. The police tried to interrogate the driver, but your dad's attorneys already convinced them that it's all an accident. Tony told me dad already have people looking into it, but so far nada."

"That serious, huh," Thalia muttered, and Percy nodded in response.

She's been in the hospital for hours, and neither of her parents bothered to visit her, but her dad was steadfast in ordering his attorneys to clear the current situation. It didn't bother her now that much though, not like before. Same goes with Nico and Percy. That's just how it worked with their family, and they've gotten used to it after years of it. That's why they've decided long ago to look out for each other.

"Do you think it has something to do with…"

"Maybe," Thalia answered before Nico could finish. Then her eyes widened as a thought suddenly struck her.

"What is it?" Percy asked, noticing the glazed look her eyes had.

"I think I know who the driver of the SUV was," she mumbled as her eyebrows furrowed.

"Who?" Percy and Nico asked curiously.

"I- I'm not sure about his name, but I know I've seen him before."

"That's good enough. We should-" Nico started but Thalia cut him off.

"No! Let's just… Let's just keep it to ourselves for the meantime and see how things play out." Percy raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't bother to ask her why.

"You know, you're starting to sound so much like uncle," Nico pointed out, earning him a glare they've come to know very well. That was a good enough indication that she was back to normal.

"Well, the important thing is you're safe," Percy remarked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And now, you should-"

"I'm back!" Bianca exclaimed, entering the room with no sign of a nurse.

"Nurses nowadays are so hard to get along with," she proclaimed. _I believe it's the other way around, _Percy thought. "By the way, look who I ran into."

"Hey, guys," Grover greeted, walking in with Annabeth right behind him.

"Oh, he- Annabeth?" Percy asked, taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing," she responded indifferently. She might as well have not answered him since she practically ignored him. She pushed past him and made her way to Thalia right away, giving her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Thalia asked as Annabeth pulled away, repeating Percy's exact words.

"I came here to see you obviously." Percy rolled his eyes. Of course she gives Thalia a straight answer and not him. Thalia knew that as much and just had to rub it in his face.

"Aww..." Thalia cooed, and they hugged again. _Girls, _Percy thought incredulously. Thalia, noticing the grossed-out look Percy had on his face, stuck her tongue out from Annabeth's shoulder.

Nico opened his mouth and made gagging noises resulting in Bianca slapping him behind the head, making Grover laugh his butt off.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and started asking Thalia a bunch of questions. How it ended up with "Why didn't you bring an umbrella?", Percy couldn't quite figure out.

He decided to drag Grover and Nico out of the room so the girls could chatter about whatever they chattered about. They weren't exactly like other girls who talked about girl stuff; you know, boys, other girls, more boys, dresses, more boys, shopping, more boys, parties, and more boys, those kind of stuff, so who knew what they talked about. And he didn't want to risk getting scarred for life.

Grover and Nico decided to grab some food, leaving Percy alone with his thoughts.

He sighed and slumped on a bench across the hallway and started wondering why Annabeth was acting like that towards him. He didn't do anything wrong, did he?

Sure, he annoyed her most of the time. Okay, maybe all the time. He knows it drove her crazy. And he prides himself with that because he tries his best to do so. But it wasn't that big of a deal, right?

So what was she fussing about?

He thought about what happened earlier that morning. He never meant to call Annabeth cute. It just slipped out of his mouth. And if he could, he would take it back. It didn't feel quite right, calling her cute. And neither was calling her pretty. No. She wasn't cute. She wasn't pretty. She was… beautiful.

Percy groaned in frustration and laid his head on his hands. _What's going on with me?_

He knew he had to do something about his awry emotions. And soon. If something slipped out if his mouth again, it could wind up ruining their friendship. And he just couldn't risk that. He didn't want to lose a friend. Again.

* * *

Me: Long chapter, right? I hope that made up for my long absence before the previous chapter. And please review. Am I losing my touch? Tell me, please.

Annabeth: There you are! Is this how you thank me for cleaning up your crappy writing? Ha?

Me: Uh-oh. Gotta go! Don't forget to review. Buh-bye. -swoosh-

Grover: Perrrcyyy...


	12. Sophomore 12

Me: I'm baaaccckkk!

Annabeth: No one cares. And you are most certainly not who I want back.

Me: I'm ignoring you! Anyway, I know I haven't kept my word about updating once a week. Sooo... Here's a long, fluff-ful chapter. This isn't exactly how I wanted it to come out. But, meh, I just went with it anyway. And seriously, it's really fluff-y. And kinda humorless. I know the past chapters were somewhat very serious. But I just decided to put these right before things get... messy. -evil laugh-

Grover: You're sick.

Me: Why, yes I am. Thank you.

Annabeth: Oh, shut up. Just get on with the story.

Me: Fiiinnneee... Here you go, folks.

* * *

**Sophomore 12: Falling Deeper.**

* * *

"Are you feeling okay?" Percy asked, turning to face Annabeth with an inquisitive expression.

"I'm fine," she replied, waving a hand to dismiss his concern.

"Just… peachy," she finished, although Percy didn't quite hear it over the loud chattering and music blaring.

Annabeth stared at the sea of faces absorbed in their own conversations with their pristine and untouched clothes. They mingled all over around the mansion, glasses of wine already in hand.

She wondered how Percy could seem so unaffected by the amount of people suddenly infiltrating his home. Correction, his father's home. Percy's home was a pigpen in an apartment building. How that was possible, no one will ever know.

She figured he was probably used to these things. He did mention that it was a yearly activity Olympus Enterprises held for their employees and business partners at the end of every year.

"It's sort of an appreciation night. To thank everyone for their hard work," Percy told her.

"So, tell me again, why am I here? And you even forced me to wear a dress." Annabeth felt nausea overwhelm her as she looked down at her dress. It was soft, hugging her every curve, brushing just below her knee. It was bright silver that glittered under the emanating light.

Percy shrugged in response. "You've got nothing better to do, right? And I didn't _force_ you. I _convinced_ you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She had to admit though, he was pretty convincing when it involved some _very _unpleasant things. And a little push from her mother, who in fact, sent her the dress just for the occasion. She knew her mother had something up her sleeves, but she just couldn't let Percy down.

"You were just lucky you had the upper hand."

"Just admit it. I'm better than you give me credit for."

"Not until hell freezes over."

"Tell me when that happens so I could visit you there."

"You're a jerk," Annabeth fumed, hitting Percy's shoulder.

"Ow! I'm kidding." Percy held his hands up in resignation. "Anyway, I have a few rounds to make. People I need to greet, or else I'll pay for it later. I can take you somewhere to sit. Or you can come with me," he offered, giving her a questioning look as she mused about it.

Annabeth imagined being left alone, not knowing anybody in the massive flood of people. It just made her stomach twinge. "I'm coming with you."

Percy nodded and grasped her hand. She blushed profusely at the touch. She thanked whoever there was to thank that Percy wasn't looking at her direction. Her face must have stood out like a tomato alone in the middle of a room with walls of pure white. _Stupid teenage hormones._

They zig-zagged through groups of people like they were a maze. Annabeth tried to concentrate on little things like Ruby and her band playing on the make-shift stage in the middle of the main hall, waiters and waitresses serving drinks all around, the big chandelier in the ceiling. Anything but the fact that Percy was holding her hand.

She hasn't been amongst the crowd in five minutes, but she already wished she could be anywhere else. Though she wouldn't mind Percy being with her wherever that anywhere else may be.

She inwardly cursed at herself for thinking about something so juvenile.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Percy asked again, momentarily shooting a glance at Annabeth.

"Oh, yeah. I'm here to cherish every minute." Percy raised an eyebrow at Annabeth's incredulous response as she gave a fake smile. "You know, me plus dress equals end of the world."

Percy laughed lightly, shaking his head. Annabeth continued to follow him, greeting and giving half-smiles to people she didn't know and making small talk.

They did pass by a few people they know from school, like the Stoll twins, Charles Beckendorf, Jake Mason, Michael Yew, Silena Beauregard, Katie Gardner, Clarisse La Rue, and a few others. Their parents were apparently either part of the board of directors, or business partners of Olympus Enterprises.

Annabeth chose to tag along with Percy though, since she wasn't exactly fond of any of them. And yes, that was the only reason.

They came across a couple who were standing at the bottom of a very large, extremely ornate Greek painting. The two seemed to be admiring it.

"Hello, Mr. Gottschalk," Percy greeted the man as they approached. He then turned to the woman, "Mrs. Gottschalk."

Annabeth had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing. _Gottschalk. Seriously?_

"Perseus, my dear!" Mrs. Gottschalk exclaimed, grinning brilliantly. Her teeth were unnaturally white and reflective. Annabeth noticed Percy's jaw twitch at the mention of his name, but he simply kept his facade and chuckled lightly. "Might I say you look as dashing as ever."

Annabeth hadn't really notice, but Percy did in fact looked… dashing. He was wearing a perfectly starched dress shirt, although he had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows casually. He was wearing an olive green tie which made his sea-green eyes pop. And his hair, for once, was fixed and not sticking at every direction.

"It's been too long, my boy," Mr. Gottschalk interjected, his voice deep and rumbling. They shook hands, causing Percy's palm to snake out of Annabeth's. When it fell back at his side, he didn't reach out to Annabeth's hand again. Not that it bothered her. No, it most certainly did not.

"Quite true," Percy chuckled, and Annabeth was slightly disturbed at how fake it was. The couple didn't seem to notice though. Annabeth realized that this is the Percy they know. A fake Percy.

The smile plastered on his face - fake. The politeness and elegance he exhibited - fake. The forbearing expression he had - fake. Everything about his demeanor - fake. And Annabeth could easily distinguish that he wasn't at ease in any way. She just knew him too well for her own good.

"And who might this be?" Mrs. Gottschalk chirped, looking at Annabeth.

"This is Annabeth." Percy tugged at Annabeth's hand, jerking her out of her reverie.

"Nice to meet you," she greeted, reaching for Mrs. Gottschalk's hand and shaking it.

"My, oh my. What a charming young lady," she smiled at Annabeth. "And I have to say, this is a fine young man you have here, Annabeth."

"Oh, he's not fine." Annabeth realized what she just said and took it back. "I mean, mine. He's fine, but he's not mine. Uh, never mind."

Percy's eyes widened, and he turned slowly, giving Annabeth a weird look that said 'What are you doing'. She just forced a smile as Mrs. Gottschalk laughed elegantly, finding the exchange extremely amusing.

"Now, where is that conniving father of yours?" Mr. Gottschalk interrupted.

"I'm sure he's somewhere showing off a new collection of his," Percy replied nonchalantly.

"Very well. You'll have to excuse me then. That rascal still owes me money from the last round of cards we played," Mr. Gottschalk said, winking at Annabeth as he slipped past.

"I should probably be going as well," Percy said, directing his attention to Mrs. Gottschalk.

"Oh, yes, yes. Off you go. We don't want others to think I'm hogging all of your charming attention." Her tone was extremely sweet, it made Annabeth cringe. "It was good seeing you again. And it was exceptionally nice meeting you, Annabeth."

"Likewise," Annabeth answered before bidding her farewell.

"Thank God, that's over," Percy exclaimed as they made their way back to the main hall.

"I couldn't agree more." Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. "What now?"

"We should probably look for the others. They should be done with their rounds now. Anyway…" Percy drawled, and Annabeth knew what was coming. "What was that all about?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently. She was glad Percy was back to himself. She didn't quite like the other Percy just before. Sure, he wasn't annoying for once. But it was too fake, the facade was actually very ailing for her.

Percy rolled his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I honestly have no idea."

Percy was about to come up with a comeback when someone suddenly snaked an arm around his shoulders. "Percy, my boy!"

"Hey, dad. You're drunk." Percy shot an accusing look towards his father. Annabeth studied the man. He looked a lot like Percy, with his black hair and green eyes that were surrounded by sun-crinkles, a mischievous grin very much like Percy's spread across his face. He was like an older version of Percy. He was at least an inch taller than Percy though.

"No, I'm not. Just tipsy," he grinned, showing his perfect white teeth.

"That's what you always say," Percy muttered under his breath.

"Oh, lighten up, son. I'm just having a bit of fun. There's no need to worry. Like what Timon and Pumba always say…" He held a finger up, waiting for Percy to continue.

"Hakuna Matata," Percy finished reluctantly.

"That's my boy," Poseidon grinned. He then turned his attention to Annabeth, who was finding the scene in front of her quite amusing. Something flashed in his eyes as he narrowed his eyes at her. "You look strangely familiar. Have we met?"

Annabeth was taken aback by the sudden seriousness in his tone. "Uh, I don't think so."

"What's your name?"

"Uh, Annabeth Chase, sir."

"Ah! Annabeth!" Poseidon's face suddenly brightened, grinning from ear to ear. He sounded extremely chirpy for an adult, let alone a man who owns an enterprise with his brothers. "It's nice to finally meet you. Percy's told me a lot about you."

Annabeth nervously let out a reply, smiling sheepishly. "I hope nothing bad."

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Nothing like that at all! He keeps telling me how smart and beautiful you are, how your hair glistens in the sunlight, how captivating your eyes are." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "How… _hot _you are."

Annabeth blushed furiously which in turn made Poseidon chuckle. "Dad!" Percy growled.

"Oh, shush, son. I'm just teasing. So, Annabeth. Do you know a Frederick Chase?"

"Yes. He's my dad." Poseidon laughed loudly, making Annabeth jump.

"I knew you reminded me of someone."

"You knew him?"

"Oh, yeah. We go waaayyy back. That bastard…" Poseidon chuckled, shaking his head slightly and sighing to himself.

"But you know, your eyes remind me of someone else. Hmm..." He narrowed his eyes at Annabeth's, his tone turning serious again. Annabeth stuttered for a reply.

"Anyway!" Poseidon suddenly clapped his hands together, grinning widely. "I'd love to spend more time with the both of you, but sadly, I must away!" He shot his hand up in the air. _Bipolar much? _Annabeth thought.

"And son, if Eric asks where I am, tell him I'm in the attic, hiding from him." Percy groaned at his dad's stupidity. He's such a child at times, and clearly acts more immature when drunk. Poseidon turned back to Annabeth. "It was really nice meeting you, Annabeth. Please take care of my son."

Poseidon patted his son's shoulder, winked at Annabeth, and disappeared back into the crowd.

"Wow," Annabeth breathed out.

"Sorry 'bout that. He gets into a rush when he's wasted," Percy reasoned.

"He's like a ten-year-old sugar-crazed kid."

"I know." Percy shook his head in disbelief.

"At least now I know who you took after. You're so much like your dad."

"What is that supposed to mean." Percy glared at Annabeth.

"Oh, nothing," Annabeth said in a teasing voice.

Percy opened his mouth, but before he could retort, they heard someone calling their names. "Percy! Annabeth!"

They whirled their heads, doing a 360-turn. After a few looks, they finally saw someone causing a commotion.

Grover waved his hands in the air as he jostled through the folds of the crowd, earning him glares here and there. After muttering "Sorry!" over and over again, he eventually reached the two. "I've been looking everywhere for you guys! And Perce, man, they're serving awesome enchiladas! And Annabeth, wow, you look great!"

Annabeth mumbled a thanks and eyed Grover as well. He had a brown vest on his dress shirt that went well with his shaggy brown hair, although the look he sported seemed strangely similar to the waiters'.

"G-man, where did you get your outfit?" Percy asked.

"Oh, aha-ha." Grover chuckled nervously. "That's not important. Have you guys seen Nico?"

Percy continued to give his best friend a suspicious look, but Annabeth answered for him. "I saw him with Bianca awhile ago, talking to someone near the punch bowl."

As she said this, the three of of them turned to look towards that direction. And certainly enough, the two were there talking to an old lady. Well, Bianca was talking. Nico just stood there pouting and huffing and yawning. He didn't even bother to hide how bored he was as he listened to the two women converse, using their hands a lot as they talked.

Nico noticed the three of them looking and signaled them to save him, clasping his hands together and mouthing _Please _with pleading eyes.

All three of them shook their heads at the same time all the while grinning deviously.

Nico then tapped his wrist were a watch was supposed to be and put two fingers against the side of his head, enacting a gun being fired at his head.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Annabeth inquired.

"He's telling us that he's gonna die soon if we don't save him," Grover explained.

"So, should we?" Annabeth asked skeptically.

"Nah. Leave him be. At least if he did die, he'll be with his father," Percy replied, turning away his attention from Nico.

Annabeth and Grover gave him an odd look that had 'What?' written all over their faces.

"You know, Greek Mythology. Hades. Uncles Hades. Nico's dad. King of the underworld. If Nico died, he'll go there."

"And? Are we supposed to laugh?" Annabeth quirked an eyebrow.

"I hate you." Percy glared at her.

"The feeling's mutual," she stated.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Oh, are you now?"

"Yes, I most definitely am."

"Uh, guys." Percy and Annabeth shifted their glares to Grover.

"Okay! I think I'm just gonna go now," he interjected. "I don't really want all this-" He stretched out his hands towards the two. "-to blow up in my face."

"And exactly what is about to blow up?" Annabeth snarled, crossing her hands over her chest.

"Uh, you know… Nothing?" Grover cowered at the sight of Annabeth's face.

"Now's a good time to run," she whispered threateningly. And without another thought, Grover scurried away. As soon as he was out of their sights, they started laughing.

"Are we really _that _bad?" Annabeth mused.

"Must be," Percy shrugged. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"You're not about to take me somewhere and kill me, are you?"

"Jeez. Thanks for spoiling the surprise." Annabeth just rolled her eyes in response.

They maneuvered through the crowd, Annabeth just a few steps behind Percy. And after being stopped one last time by some cousin-of-a-friend-of-a-friend of an employee, Percy led Annabeth out to a balcony. As soon as they stepped out, the noises inside the mansion seemed to fade away.

The balcony was completely empty, of course, but was large enough for at least twenty people. It overlooked a lake which was only a few yards away from the mansion, with a small gazebo that stood just by the banks.

It was one of those average Disney Princess balconies, a thought which Annabeth found extremely uncalled for. She studied the balcony and started thinking of ways she could modify it to be even better. Like adjusting the angles of the railing, replacing the floor tiles with Terrazzo ones. The ideas just kept coming, and she couldn't stop.

"Thinking about modifying the balcony?" Percy asked.

Annabeth smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah. Everything is just so full of possibilities, you know."

"I know what you mean," Percy answered.

"Oh, do you?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Percy shrugged, leaning his back against the railing. "It's like life. Sometimes you have to take risks even if you don't know if it's for the better or for the worse. You just have to take your chances. And if it doesn't work out, you can always come up with something better and try again."

"Wow. That actually made sense," Annabeth teased, and Percy smirked knowingly, although she thought deeply of what he just said. It felt like he had a deeper meaning implied, and she couldn't escape the feeling that it was piercing her heart.

Annabeth walked next to Percy and leaned on the railing. They settled into comfortable silence; Annabeth staring at the lake, Percy staring above at the stars.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the surface of the lake completely. It was completely still and placid, a few ripples appearing here and there from the cool wind that breezed through. It was a simple vacuous night.

"What are you thinking?" Percy asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing, really. It's just so peaceful and quiet, I think I'll get bad karma if I disturbed that." Percy chuckled at Annabeth's ridiculous response. "And it's nice to see stars for a change. You never get to see any in the city. You?" Annabeth turned to face Percy. He scrunched his face like he was inwardly debating about something.

"There was actually something I've been meaning to ask you."

Annabeth felt a lump form in her throat as she suddenly turned nervous from Percy's tone. "What's that?"

"Well, you see. There's this girl…" Percy trailed off. He turned to face Annabeth, sea-green eyes boring deep into her own stormy-gray. And then... he started laughing.

Annabeth was surprised by his sudden outburst, and she somewhat felt disappointed. She'll have to reevaluate her feelings later, but for now…

She glared at Percy. "Percy…" she growled.

Percy swallowed and waved his hands. "I was kidding. But there really is something I wanted to ask you."

Annabeth sighed. "What?"

"Have you already come up with anything regarding Nico getting publicly humiliated? It's been weeks, you know." Annabeth restrained herself from letting out a groan of annoyance.

She sighed. Again. "Well, actually, I've already thought of something."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna tell me?" Percy wondered.

"Of course not. You'll have to do something first, in return."

"Like what?"

Annabeth tapped her chin, thinking deeply. "Hmm…"

She walked over to Percy, putting a hand on his shoulder. Percy was about to ask what she was doing, but she just grabbed his left hand and raised it. Percy finally recognized the position, and he put his other hand on her waist, smiling.

"May I have this dance?" Percy asked, tipping his head to Annabeth.

Annabeth let out a soft chuckle and smiled. "Yes, you may."

They started slowly swaying, although they could barely hear the music coming from inside. It was a slow song nonetheless.

Annabeth knew she was getting out of hand, but it just felt… right. She got caught up in the moment like the planets just happened to be aligned. _God, I sound so girly._

She decided to let go of every thought in her mind and just live in the moment since she did say she was going to cherish every minute of the night. And that was a good enough reason for her. Besides, there was nothing wrong with dancing with a friend on a balcony below the moon and stars where no one could see. That was a very undebatable point.

They managed to maneuver in time with the song, spinning around and around, never leaving each other's eyes. And Annabeth couldn't help but notice how Percy drew closer to her with each step. Not that she minded as of the moment.

They heard the song ending, but they still remained in each other's arms anyway.

"So…" Percy drawled.

"So…" Annabeth mimicked. They were leaning closer towards each other and with no sign of stopping. Closing her eyes, Annabeth's breath hitched as she felt Percy's breath on her nose.

But that's when the world decided to let reality come crashing down upon them.

"Percy, thank God I finally found you." Thalia appeared out of nowhere, making the both of them jump away from each other. She suddenly stopped, studying the scene in front of her; Percy looking upwards scratching the back of his neck, Annabeth looking downwards while shifting her feet. Thalia shook her head, deciding to let it go. For now. There were more serious matters at hand.

She went next to Percy and whispered something in his ear. Annabeth noticed that she was sweating and breathing heavily, and deduced that she probably ran while looking for Percy.

Annabeth wasn't one to eavesdrop, but Thalia's tense voice made her to do so, though all she could make out was, "He's here."

Percy's eyebrows furrowed as Thalia finished. He hesitantly turned his attention back to Annabeth. "Uh, I have to go. Tony's calling for me."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Percy's eyes had something in them that Annabeth couldn't quite recognize, but it sent a little flutter to her stomach. _What was that about? _She frowned inwardly and shook the feeling off, choosing to ignore it.

Thalia, not really paying any attention, interrupted their momentary lapse, "Percy, _now_."

"I'll see you Monday." Annabeth just nodded in response, slightly disappointed at the fact that they won't be seeing each other the rest of the night. And until Monday. She'll have to question herself later for why she felt that way. And the fact that they were just about to kiss just a moment ago. It was most definitely a _momentary lapse _on her part.

Percy took one last look at Annabeth before taking off. Thalia remained for a moment, still catching her breath. She looked up at Ananbeth and smiled. "I'd give you a hug, but I'm all sticky and I don't want to ruin your dress."

Annabeth chuckled. "You know what, I don't really care. I'll just burn this anyway when I get home." She approached the laughing Thalia and gave her a hug.

"Well, as much as I want to stick around… Ugh. Lame pun." Thalia shook her head as she pulled out of the hug and glared at Annabeth who was suppressing a laugh. "I really need to get going," she finished, smiling. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Oh, please. Like I can't handle myself."

"Attagirl." Thalia smiled and went off to follow Percy. But before she passed through the door, she added, "Were you about to kiss my cousin?"

Annabeth stumbled to come up with a reply, but Thalia was already gone. The question remained hanging in the air though. _Was I about to kiss Percy?_

She let the scenes play in her mind again, and she leaned her back against the railing and burrowed her face in her hands. She was indeed about to kiss Percy. _What was I thinking?_

_Nothing,_ she answered to herself. Yes, she was thinking of nothing because she decided to not think at all. And it was a stupid mistake. A stupid, _stupid _mistake.

She knew she could blame everything else. The romantic balcony, the cool breeze, the bright moon shining above, the stars twinkling, the slow music in the background, and the list goes on. But she had to make no excuses. She needed better judgement so she won't make the same mistake again.

Knowing Percy though, she knew he wasn't going to bring up the event again, and hopefully they would move past it, forgetting that it ever happened. That's the only thing she could hope for.

She couldn't let herself fall deeper into the trench that she formed. Because if she did, there just might be no more coming back.

And she'll be forced to choose.

* * *

Me: Bleh! The story's getting too mushy. And for crying out loud, Annabeth was flirting with Percy! Thank God the next chapter is... twisted. Mwahahahaha!

Grover: Please just review so he'd stop.

Annabeth: Or better yet, just get going so I could kill him privately.

Me: Nooo! You guys better review if you want the next chapter! Mwahahahaha!

Reviewers: Stop with the evil laugh, and we will review.

Me: Fiiinnneee... By the way, I'm advertising my other story **Hope and Despair**, which I just updated after like 10 months. ;D

And seriously, review. -serious face-


	13. Sophomore 13

Me: I'm sorry! I know, I know. I'm uber late with the update! Buuuttt... This chapter's a long one. So... Forgive me? -smile-

The chapter isn't exactly how I wanted it to turn out to be. Then again, all the chapters weren't how I wanted them all to be. So, whatever.

This chapter is mostly filled with flashbacks and nonsense dialogues. But it's all part of the plot. Sort of. Oh, and we go deeper to what's exactly going on. Major twists along the way. -cackle-

And by the way. I have some news.

Percy: I'm back!

Me: Yeah, Percy's back. Yey... -sarcastic-

Grover: It's time to pa-parteh! Catch!

Me: Where'd you get the root beer? And... Dr. Pepper!

Grover: I have my ways. -evil grin-

Percy: You are an evil goat boy.

Grover: Why, thank you. Hey. Where's Annabeth?

Percy: Still sleeping. She's kinda tired, I guess.

Me: Who got her tired? Huh? Huh? -nudge, nudge, wink, wink-

Grover: Oh, gods. I didn't need to hear that.

Percy: -sigh- One drop of caffeine and he's already high. Anyway, before we proceed with the chapter, we'd like to answer a few questions thrown at us.

First, **Are they demigods?**_ No. This is a complete AU, and the gods also don't exist._

Second, **Will Bianca die?** _No... I think. So, far, she has a part in the story. We'll try not to kill anyone that died in the original story._

And that's pretty much it. On with the chapter!

Grover: And this goes out to **wizegirl101**. She kept forcing us to update. So, here it is.

Me: Weeeeee...! Rush, rush, rush!

* * *

**Sophomore 13: Opposites attract. Oh, fudge.**

* * *

"You just go to love Tuesdays."

"And why should I?"

Annabeth opened her locker and turned to look at Percy casually leaning against the locker next to hers, blowing strands of hair hanging just above his eyes. Their eyes connected for a moment before she turned her attention to the insides of her locker. She could practically feel Percy's eyes boring a hole in the side of her head as he continued to stare.

She couldn't stop the heat flooding her face as images of last Saturday's events popped into her mind.

They've avoided the topic as she had hoped, but spending most of her time being around him wasn't exactly helping her resolve. She couldn't avoid him though as that would be extremely suspicious, not only to him, but also to anyone remotely aware of their closeness as friends.

Everything will turn for the worse if she isn't able to focus on her mother's directives. _That_ she was sure of.

But she was starting to have a hard time.

When your emotions get compromised, logic is thrown out of the window and mistakes _will_ swarm you from every direction. Maybe Spock was right. Maybe emotions _are _worthless.

Frustration bubbled inside of her. For crying out loud! _She _doesn't even know what her_ own_ emotions are. _She _doesn't know _what_ to feel, _how_ she's supposed to feel. All she knows is she gets in a fanatical daze every time she's around Percy; she gets light-headed, like she's floating on air; she gets all warm and fuzzy in the insides, ready to burst from all the fuzziness. In simple words: an unstable nutcase.

She could slowly feel the defensive wall of apathy she's built around her crumble, about to leave her completely vulnerable. It irked her, how she was becoming indecisive. After all, she was a planner. She was goal-minded, always looking ahead, planning ahead, already thinking of her next choices even before making a choice.

She hated the spontaneity that came along with Percy. What was it about him that made her like that? What was it about him that just makes her lose control? What was it about him that just made her forget everything and just be herself?

Of course, it wasn't the right time to be dwelling on those questions, 'cause right there next to her stood that same person.

But one thing was for sure: Percy was a distraction.

Percy was still staring intently at her when she took a glance at him from the corner of her eyes. He took that recognition as a signal for him to continue. He then shrugged, shifting his attention to the students passing by.

"Oh, you know, it's kind of the best day of the week. After Tuesday, the rest of the week just goes W-T-F," he grinned knowingly at his own statement.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at her friend's travesty. She was already accustomed to the frequent idiocy of Percy (Which took a very long while. But at least now, she was no longer having an urge to bang her own head into the lockers.) which, against her better judgment, always makes her smile in spite of herself. Like right now.

Despite the growing tension with whatever that's going on between them, they were still friends. Best friends to be more precise.

"But when you get to Friday, you go T-G-I-F," Annabeth pointed out, a ghost of a smile on her face.

She took out what she needed for her homeworks, placing them in her bag, and she put the rest of her things into her locker, closing it as she did. She turned on her heel and proceeded down the halls, Percy following suit.

"Hmm, good point. You didn't have to shoot down my idea though." Percy crossed his arms and pouted, and Annabeth unmindfully thought that he looked adorable with his red lips all puckered up and- _WTH!_

She abruptly shook the thought out of her mind and looked forward. "Oh, _trust_ me. I had to."

"Whatever," Percy mumbled. "But isn't it weird?"

"Who? You?" Annabeth took the chance to peer at Percy - not that she wanted to (Yeah, right!)- through the corner of her eyes and noticed him scowling while making a face. She stifled a laugh at the sight of him. He had an uncanny ability to make faces.

_Years of practice probably_, she thought. He was able to pull off an impervious mask when he had to, just like the fake facade he put on during the party at his father's mansion.

But still, Annabeth was able to see right through it. She had, after all, met and spent time with the true Percy. Although she still felt a bit eerie how he shifted from two personalities when he wanted to. He was living a double life.

"Trying to make a point here," Percy huffed.

Annabeth rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time in the duration of just five minutes. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Well, as I was saying, isn't it weird how people associate conflicting ideas to point something out, but in the end, it doesn't make any sense at all." Annabeth wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but decided against it.

"You mean like how they say the early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese," she half-stated, half-questioned.

"_Exactly_," Percy grinned, obviously pleased to get his thoughts across. "Like how you put your two cents in, but they only ask for a penny for your thoughts."

"No one will _ever_ pay a penny for your thoughts," Annabeth put in. "Not even if you gave them for free. Seriously though, I worry about you. You need to get that brain of yours checked. I think there's some seaweed or whatever in there."

Percy glared at Annabeth, who realized just now that they've stopped walking right in the middle of the hallway and were catching the attention of other students. Ignoring her comment, he continued, "My_ point_ is, it doesn't make any sense."

"Like you," Annabeth answered, mentally patting herself on the shoulder for pissing Percy off. She spun and started walking again, shooting her very own Glare of Demise at the general direction of the judging eyes that were looking at them. _Mmm-hmm. That's right. You don't want to mess with moi._

Percy growled, but despite Annabeth's interruptions, he continued, "Kinda makes you wonder where the extra penny goes."

"Who knows," Annabeth shrugged, not really paying any attention. She suddenly realized her mistake a little too late and cursed under her breath. _Dammit! _She just gave Percy the perfect opportunity to retort. And of course, he would take advantage of it. The tide has officially turned against her.

"You don't?" Percy feigned astonishment, his eyes widening to the size of saucers and his mouth openly hanging. "That's a first."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "They're sayings, Percy. The only people who know what they actually mean are the people who made them up. For all we know, they may actually be denotations. Others just come up with different definitions and interpretations to sound smart."

"Oh. Like you?" Percy smirked, using her own words against her. She _hated _it when he does that. She punched him hard on the shoulders. "Ow! Why do you keep doing that?"

"Well, you keep asking for i- Eep!" Annabeth squeaked as Percy poked her lightly in the side of her stomach. It was very unlike her to squeak, but it was a weakness for her. No, not Percy, but being poked in the side. What annoyed her more, though, was the fact that _he_ found about that certain weak point of hers. And what was even _more_ annoying was how he found out.

She ducked her head down while trying to fight off another blush creeping to her face as scenes of Percy tickling her under a tree flashed before her eyes.

_"I'm boooreeed…" Percy drawled, tossing his hands in the air and plopping down on the grass._

_"I didn't ask. And quite frankly, I don't care." Annabeth's eyes didn't leave her book, completely absorbed in reading it. She was sitting under a tree, her back resting against the trunk._

_Percy crossed his arms behind his head and laid down on the grass. He turned slightly on his side to study Annabeth. She's been reading the same book for who-knows-how-long. "Haven't you finished reading that book like weeks ago?"_

_Annabeth sighed and decided to close the book. She won't be able to concentrate on reading it anyway, what with Percy constantly bugging her. "Architecture books are not just books you read and throw away, Percy. It's filled with enough knowledge to last _ages_, reading it just once isn't enough. Do you even know how much it takes to-"_

_Percy rolled on his stomach and looked directly at Annabeth. "Look, I know you want to be a super architect and design historical buildings and stuff, but please spare me the details. I don't really need to be clued in about structural supports and facades and whatever."_

_Annabeth rolled her eyes and stood up, laying her book on the ground and brushing leaves off her pants. "What's taking them so long anyway?"_

_Percy gave her a look that said something along the lines of 'why-are-you-asking-me', 'like-I-care', 'do-I-look-like-I-know', and 'I'm-hungry'. In other words, "Dunno."_

_A cool breeze swept through Central Park, rustling trees and their branches, crisp brown and occasional yellow leaves falling off. Annabeth inhaled the chilly autumn air. December was fast approaching. She still couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that she's been staying in New York for some time now and that she actually felt at home more than ever._

_She looked wistfully at parents and children wandering around the fields, playing and eating. She wasn't deprived of her childhood or anything like that. In actuality, she was treated like a princess by her father. A worthless treasure he told her, for nothing could ever amount to what she was to him. And she couldn't ask for anything more of her father. He was already everything to ask for._

Well, maybe if he didn't act immaturely like some old man trying to feel young again by acting like a clown wearing googly-eye glasses with the eyeballs bouncing around on Slinky coils would be a plus_, she thought. (And it was a good thing she was only thinking. If she was speaking, saying all those in one breath would've been quite a feat for her.) The memory gave her goosebumps. Bad goosebumps._

_But she did wish that her mother would act more like a parent than a matriarch; helping her with her school works instead of telling her what to do with her life; making her school lunches to bring to school instead of directing her actions; giving her guidance with life problems instead of ordering her to spy on her friends._

_It was easy at first, to just follow her mother's commands. _("Get well acquainted with the children of Olympus. Uncover what developments Olympus is undertaking. Use any means necessary, but don't get too attached.")

_But of course, everything has to be complicated, like the world has suddenly decided, "What's this? Annabeth Chase has everything figured out and is on her way to eternal happiness? Well, we can't have that! Deeessstttrrroooyyy!"_

_A part of her knew she was risking a lot more than just her dreams, but a part of her still wanted to please her mother. That part of her wanted her attention, a child trying to appease her parent._

Don't get too attached_, Minerva told her. Annabeth instinctively took a glance at Percy. _Too late for that_, she though scornfully. _

_She watched Percy play with his personal pen, Riptide. He still hasn't told her the reason behind the name. She was, in some way, looking forward to the day that he would, if it ever came to that. But for the meantime…_

_"Hey!" Percy instantly stood straight. "Give it back!"_

_"Or what?" Annabeth quirked an eyebrow, challenging Percy. She flipped the pen with one hand as her other hand rested on her hip._

_She smirked as Percy just stood there. She was expecting him to whine like a little kid like he usually does. Or at least chase her around like a psycho with a spork while cackling maniacally._

_But she was most definitely not expecting him to jump her._

_Percy pinned Annabeth down on the ground, wrestling her to get back the pen. They rolled around the grass, every so often shoving each other playfully, laughing their butts off. It was a ROFL moment. Literally._

_Percy was finally able to grab hold of Annabeth's hands with one hand. She tried to squirm out of his grasp under him, but to no avail._

_"Get. Off. Me," Annabeth barked, narrowing her eyes at Percy. He just smirked, mischievousness glinting in his eyes. He had that look- the kind where he was going to take a risk and possibly piss Annabeth off, but knowing that it would be worth it._

Time for some sweet revenge_, he thought. He slowly moved his free hand to the side of Annabeth, panic flashing in her eyes. "What do you think you're doing!"_

_To answer her, Percy started tickling her out of her mind._

_"Ah! Stop- stop! No! No- not there! Ah! Percy! Stop!" Annabeth kept screaming, laughing hysterically._

_"What's the magic word?" Percy cooed like he was talking to a child. Annabeth just shook her head, trashing wildly and laughing frantically as Percy tickled the living daylights out of her._

_Percy stopped when Annabeth's breathing became out of control. "Concede?"_

_Annabeth took a large intake of air before glaring at Percy. She will never back down, not even to a gorgeous boy like the one right on top of her whose breath was tickling her cheeks. If it was under different circumstances, she would have blushed furiously. "Never."_

_Percy shrugged, saying, "Your funeral," before tickling her again. Their laughs were too loud, neither of them heard the quiet footsteps approaching._

_"What-"_

_"Oh-"_

_"The-"_

_"My-"_

_"Hell."_

_"God."_

_The two of them shot up, straightening their clothes and fixing their hairs as they took in the appearances of Thalia and Ruby gawking at them, Nico and Grover snickering, and Judd giving them a thumbs up. Annabeth's first concern was flies might fly into their mouths, while Percy's was _what-oh-the-my-hell-God?

Annabeth was almost thankful that Percy poked her again. Almost.

She smacked his fingers away. "Stop that."

"What? This?" And Percy poked her again, making her squeak. Again.

"Seriously. Stop," Annabeth ordered. She narrowed her eyes at Percy as he laughed and opened the doors leading out to the oval. The fields were mostly empty, just for a few students unwinding on the grass.

"Okay, okay." Annabeth walked past Percy and out the doors, eyes still narrowed at him as he raised his hands in resignation. "So, are you going to the game on Friday?"

"Yep. Wouldn't miss it. It's the Superbowl or something, right?"

Percy laughed loudly, grasping his stomach. "Superbowl's for the N-F-L, genius. You know, for someone so smart, you strangely lack general knowledge."

Annabeth glared at him, wanting nothing else but to choke him. "Percy, I'm sure you know that there's something called self-preservation. I advise you to get going before yours kick in."

"Ooh. I'm so scared. What are you gonna do, kill me?" he challenged.

"Why, yes. Yes, I will. Thanks for pointing that out, Captain _Obvious_."

"Ha-ha. You're so funny, Lieutenant _Sarcasm_."

"Oh, yeah. I'm so _funny_, I'll put the 'fun' in your funeral!"

"Well, I'm so _fun_, I put the 'fun' in dysfunctional!"

"Mmm-hmm, that does sound like you." Annabeth crossed her arms at Percy opening and closing his mouth to respond, coming up with nothing.

"As much as I want to stick around, I have a practice to go to."

"Really, Percy? That's the excuse you're going for?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow, smirking in her momentary sense of triumph. She noticed his jaw twitch, and she knew she had him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Percy turned on his heel indignantly and headed for the football field, stomping on his feet childishly.

Annabeth shook her head, unable to stop the smile creeping to her face as she watched Percy's retreating form down the small hill. She could feel her stomach doing flips for reasons seemingly unbeknownst to her. Though she tried to look away, she just couldn't.

The blue sky stretched overhead, clouds blocking the sun as it filtered the horizon with golden streaks but it was no longer as bright as during summer days. It was already December, and it was the last week of school right before winter break. The cold wind breezed through the fields, the short grass bristling along with it.

Annabeth was very graphic and visual when it came to things panoramic (Something that easily came to her like studying abstract images. It was one of the reasons she wanted to be an architect. It was instinct to her, as simple as breathing.), and the scenery right in front of her was just something to be beheld. But even with all the magnificence of the view, she just couldn't take her eyes off of Percy, like he was the only one that mattered in everything. _Oh, fu- dge._

_Oh, fudge?_ her conscience asked her. That didn't sound weird.

She tried to shake off the tugging feeling in her chest at the same time she tried to ignore her conscience taunting her. _Look away!_

"What was that?"

Annabeth jumped in surprise at the sudden arrival of the voice. Ruby stood a few feet away from her, hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. Her long blond hair, tied in a ponytail, was slowly swaying along with the slight breeze.

"Ruby! Wh- what are you doing here?" Annabeth stuttered.

"Oh, you know," Ruby shrugged. "So, what was that?"

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked skeptically, backing away as Ruby started walking slowly towards her.

"Annabeth…"

"What? If you mean there's something up, there's absolutely nothing up."

"Annabeth…"

"There's nothing up. That's it."

"Annabeth…"

"There's nothing up!"

"Annabeth…"

"The only thing up here is the sky, okay?" Annabeth threw up her hands in exasperation as Ruby stopped a foot away from her.

"_Annabeth_…" Ruby said brusquely, finality in her tone. Annabeth resisted the urge to pull her hair out.

"Ugh! You're driving me crazy! What do you want?"

Ruby shrugged. "Nah. I already have all the information I need," she replied in a cheerful voice, grinning deviously. "So, why were you watching Percy? You were checking out his ass, weren't you?"

"Wha- No!" Annabeth blushed furiously. _I was most certainly not!_

_Yes, you were._

_Uh, hey there, conscience. Aren't you supposed to be on my side? A little confused here._

"Don't play dumb with me. Why do you keep denying the obvious?" Ruby asked, interrupting Annabeth with her conversation with herself. _That doesn't sound crazy at all. Not. At. All._

"Okay, fine. He's good looking," Annabeth admitted before adding, "but he's annoying."

"See! Your guard's up. That means you _like _him," Ruby teased, wiggling a finger at Annabeth.

"You couldn't be more wrong."

"Ooh. And defensive, too. That must mean that you _really_ like him." Ruby batted her eyelashes teasingly. She smirked as Annabeth just glared in response. "Mmm-hmm. That's what I thought."

"Oh, shut it. So, what are you doing here?" Annabeth asked, repeating her previous question.

"I was actually looking for Judd. I need to give back this, uh…" It was Ruby's turn to blush as she tugged on the large red sweatshirt she was wearing. The sweatshirt went down to her mid thigh and the sleeves were loosely hanging around her arms, hiding her hands.

"And may I ask why you're wearing his sweatshirt?" Annabeth arched an eyebrow, crossing her hands on her chest. And she added to herself, _You look like a hobo._

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of gutter. He just let me borrow it since it was freezing."

"Mmm-hmm. That's what I thought," Annabeth mocked.

"Oh, shut it," Ruby replied. And after a moment, they burst out laughing.

The two started walking in the direction opposite the field, conversing casually.

"So, tell me… It's been bugging me actually. Why do you guys keep arguing?"

"Who?" Annabeth asked innocently.

"Don't start with me again. You _know_ damn well _who_ I'm talking about."

"Fine," Annabeth mumbled. After a moment of racking her brain for the right words, she spoke, "I don't know. I guess we were just born to argue with each other."

_Like soulmates_, she thought. _Where the heck did that come from?_

It was like someone else was thinking for her._ I'm not going crazy, am I? Crazy people talk to themselves._

_Oh, fudge. Never mind._

"Born for each other?" Ruby gave Annabeth a disbelieving look. "God, you sound_ so_ cheesy! Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?"

Annabeth just groaned. "That's not what I even meant! Okay, maybe it was. Ugh! You're taking it out of context!"

Annabeth took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure as Ruby gaped at her. "Okay, look. What I'm trying to say is that it's in our nature. We couldn't even get through a simple conversation without trying to strangle each other. We're just complete polar opposites, y'know?"

"Ah. You mean, like north and south."

"Exactly. Positive and negative."

"Sun and moon."

"Good and bad."

"Hot and cold."

"Yes and no."

"In and out."

"Up and down."

"You're wrong when it's right. It's black and it's white. We fight, we break up. We kiss, we make up." The two sang completely out of tune before bursting into fits of laughter.

"Well, that was…"

"Demented? Psychotic? Disturbing?" Annabeth offered.

"I was actually thinking more in the lines of spectacular, impressive, and crackerjack," Ruby interjected.

"Crackerjack? Who are you and what have you done with Ruby?" Annabeth mocked, repeating Ruby's exact words.

"Hey! I may not be as smart as you, but I do know my way with words," Ruby huffed, crossing her arms and pouting like a child.

"And one of these days, we should wash that mouth of yours with a soap." Ruby stuck her tongue out, completely fixed on continuing with her theatricals.

"But seriously, back on topic. Why do you guys keep arguing? I mean, you _obviously_ get along. You two are like on a whole different level! Unless you guys just love to act happy and drive his stalkers insane." _Uh, what?_ "And you _clearly _like each other."

"I already told you! And secondly, I don't like him _that_ way. And- wait- What do you mean by '_each other_'?"

Ruby gave Annabeth a 'duh' look. "You like him. He likes you. What else would it mean."

"I don't like him in that way!" Annabeth cried, although she herself knew that she wasn't entirely sure. Then she looked down and added softly, "And he doesn't like me."

"Oh, c'mon. Don't tell me you don't see him going goo-goo eyes at you when you're practically right in front of him when he does! It's _so obvious_," Ruby drawled. "And then there's last Saturday when he took you out to the balcony."

That caught Annabeth's attention, her ears perking up. Suddenly, the scenes kept playing in her mind all over again. _Great. Just when I thought I've gotten over it._

"How did you know that?" she whispered like someone in the deserted vicinity will hear them.

"I was like up on stage and I could like see everything, you know, and I was like, yeah." Ruby pretended to chew a gum as she twirled a loose strand of her hair in her fingers.

"You could stop doing that now."

"Wh- what? But… Why? You- you told me I was good! You- you lied to me! Wh- why are you doing this to me?" Ruby clutched at where her heart was supposed to be and tried to wipe a tear. _Tried _since there were no actual tears coming out of her eyes.

"Ruby!"

"Don't you dare use that tone with me, young lady! Go to your room!" Ruby stood firm, pointing her, uh, pointer finger somewhere towards the field.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, and marched off in the opposite direction instead. "Yes… _mom._"

Ruby started walking to catch up with Annabeth. "So, am I good or am I good?" she grinned, nudging Annabeth with her elbow.

"None of the above," Annabeth answered. Ruby rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

"By the way, you still haven't told me what happened to you last Saturday," Ruby exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked somewhat innocently.

"You just sort of disappeared during the party."

"Oh. I had to go home. You know, curfew," Annabeth lied. Of course she wasn't about to tell her friend that she secretly sneaked around the mansion trying to look for relevant information regarding Olympus.

Ruby studied her, but decided to let it go. She knew she won't be able to pry the information out of Annabeth anyway.

They continued their walk with successive topics of conversation. But Annabeth wasn't really paying any attention. Her thoughts darted from one thought to another. Although most centered on a sole subject.

Percy.

* * *

Is this the whole picture  
Or is it just the start?  
Is this the way you love me?  
You're capturing my heart

_"May I have this dance?" I asked, tipping my head slightly towards Annabeth. It was stupid of me to do so since we were only a foot apart, our foreheads almost bumped._

_Annabeth chuckled softly, smiling, "Yes, you may."_

_We started swaying slowly, going along with Ruby's soft singing from the main hall._

_I recalled what Mom told me when waltzing. _"It's all about giving and taking."

_I took the lead, stepping to the right, then to the left. We were taught how to dance, and I _know _how to dance. But for some reason, I was nervous. My hands were a bit sweaty, and I hoped Annabeth wasn't grossed out. My heart was going crazy, I tried to close my throat to prevent it from getting out. And instead, I concentrated on not stepping on her toes._

_Our parents forced us to learn how to dance to be prepared for events like these. They even hired a personal instructor for us. A gay instructor._

_Now, I don't have anything against gays and lesbians, but God, I hated that douche. A male-to-male dance is just so… Ugh, just thinking about it irks me. Good thing my mom was there to save me._

_And Nico took the fall._

_I still feel sorry for him to this day. I'm pretty sure he's still being haunted by the events of that session. If just seeing them made me gag, how much more him._

_Gah, goosebumps._

_Anyway, back to the present._

_Annabeth and I were moving in time with the music, gracefully spinning around the tiled floor. We spun around and around, her dress occasionally fluttering when I twirl her._

_She laughed when I tipped her head back. "Wow, Jackson. Who knew you could dance."_

_I grinned. "There are tons of things you still don't know about me, _Chase_. You see, there's more to me than meets the eye."_

_Hearing her laugh made me feel a little more calm, and I was actually starting to have fun._

I'm seeing so much clearer  
Looking through your eyes  
I could never find a safer place  
Even if I tried

_This was probably one of the happiest moments of my life. Yeah, I know, I know. Percy Jackson? Dancing? One of his happiest moments?_

_It doesn't make any sense to me, too._

_My life has been officially turned upside down, like how "ipod!" is the same upside down. Okay, that didn't make any sense. That just meant that it's the same thing and nothing changed._

_I guess it's more like the time when I found out that the word "Immature" actually spells "I'm mature". Yep, that's better._

_Anyway, what can I say. Having Annabeth in my arms, her face lighting up as we danced perfectly in sync with each step, I couldn't help but be elated._

_It was pure bliss._

_And heck, I was going to enjoy every moment of this while it lasted._

And I'm here to stay  
Nothing can separate us  
And I know I'm okay  
You cradle me gently  
Wrapped in your arms

_The song ended, and I slowly let go of her hand and rested mine on her hip. Her other hand slid down from my shoulder and down my chest, leaving tingling sensations where she touched me._

_"So…" I trailed off._

_She was so close._

_"So…" she mimicked._

_So close._

_Closer than the sweaty creepy people clinging on to each other on public transit systems._

_Closer than that time when I nearly killed Nico after he hid all of my underwear. (I couldn't kill him since he was the only one who knew where they were.)_

_Closer than what I would've appreciated for the sake of my blood pressure._

_Closer than… I'm out. My brain's no longer functioning._

"Hey, Perce!" I sat straight, looking around. I groaned inwardly. I was back in the field lockers. "Daydreaming again, eh?"

I turned to Tony who sat beside me on the bench. "No. Why would you assume that?" I replied innocently.

He pretended to think deeply, leaning against me, tapping his finger on his chin, staring at the ceiling, burrowing his eyebrows. You know, that kinda stuff. "Why? Well, let's see. You're cooped up all alone here. You're staring at nothing. And you're smiling to yourself. Let me guess. Annabeth?"

"Wha- No!" I waved my hands in the air defensively. Way to act innocently. I just gave way to my own death like some soldier in the middle of a war zone waving his hands in the air, catching the attention of enemies, and BAM! Drop dead.

"Mmm-hmm. Sure. If you say so," Tony shrugged, grinning knowingly. _Dammit! _

"Actually," I took a deep breath. Might as well open up to him. "I don't even know what I'm thinking about anymore. My head's about to explode! There's Thalia and Bianca being chased, Thalia getting _hospitalized_, the game! And then there's… _him._"

I took in a huge gulp of air. I just said everything in one breath. And yeah, I know I didn't tell him _everything_. But I wasn't about to tell him that most of my thoughts revolved around Annabeth.

Heck, no.

Tony's smile turned into a frown, the air around us becoming cold as he became serious. He sighed heavily. "Look. You shouldn't worry about that for the mean time. We'll take care of that. Just… do what you must do. And right now, you should be concentrating on the game."

We sat in silence for a long while. It wasn't entirely comfortable silence, but not awkward either. It's just that there wasn't exactly anything that needed to be said.

During the long silence, I suddenly realized that the game was in _two hours_. And here I was busy daydreaming. About Annabeth.

_Ah. Annabeth..._

_Stop it!_

I sighed inwardly. Since it was already Friday, there's only one way to sum all this. _I'm so fudged up_.

Finally breaking the silence, Tony ruffled my hair as he stood up. "C'mon. I know these past few weeks have been a bit… messed up. But we've got a game to win. _You've _got a game to win."

I was about to tell him that this game was supposed to be about him, what with all the scouts and this being the championship game, it should be _him_ winning the game for us. But he was already on his way to the door. Although before he went out, he turned to look at me one more time and grinned. "Oh, and Perce. I still know that you were daydreaming about Annabeth."

_Dammit!_

* * *

Annabeth: -yawns- Hey, guys. Uhhh... What's up with him?

Me: Rush, rush, rush! Review, review, review!

Percy and Grover: Dr. Pepper.

Annabeth: Ah. Figures.

Me: Review, review, review! Or I kill, kill, kill! And you die, die, die!


	14. Sophomore 14

Me: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know, I know. I'm uber late with the update. Buuuttt... This chapter is, so far, the longest chapter I've written! I hope that makes up for it.

Annabeth: It's still a pointless chapter. I mean, all you put in it is a bunch of references.

Grover: You even did a whole lot of Justin Bieber bashing! How could you? He's awesome!

Percy: Justin Bieber... -shudders- Please, just get on with the story.

Me: Yeah, yeah. Anyway, first off, news!

On top of the list is... Guys, we reached 400 reviews! And it's flat 400! -cries- Thanks a lot, you guys. Really, thank you. Let's keep it up, shall we? :)

Second... Thank you for the ideas! And don't worry, I read all of them, and I will try my best to fit in your ideas to the story. And shout-out to **P B and J**! (I actually put your name somewhere in the chapter. ;) ) The idea you gave is actually the current plot of this arc of the story. Great minds think alike, eh? ;)

Third... Uhm, what else is there to say? I guess I'll just answer questions again.

**Are they going to kiss soon? **_You guys will just have to wait and see. ;)_

**Will there be Thuke and Nichael and other pairings? **_Yes. But it will be later on. We're still just at the first arc of the story. We've got a loooonnnggg way to go._

**And on the topic of the addition of other characters.** _They'll make appearances soon. Especially Rachel. Can't wait for it actually. It'll be complete chaos! And you guys will hate me for what I have in store. Bwahahaha!_

Grover: Okay, that's it! Go on with the story!

Annabeth: Before he runs amok! He's already started with the evil laugh!

Percy: And we assure you, you don't want to know what happens next.

Me: Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha...!

Grover, Annabeth, Percy: Nooo...!

* * *

**Sophomore 14: Some classic good 'ole bashing!**

* * *

Percy stared.

And stared.

And stared.

And… you get the idea.

For some reason, he just couldn't tear his gaze away from her. So he just kept on staring.

Annabeth was seated in front of the desk, typing furiously on her laptop, her fingers blurring as they flew over the keys in a very unbelievable speed. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and Percy felt the urge to tuck loose strands of her golden hair behind her ear. She was wearing a loose shirt, but it was still showing her curves, much to Percy's torture. Her flushed cheeks seemed to glow in the dim light of the room, accenting her face like an aureole. He figured that she was an angel. An angel that was very badass and very bossy. And very annoying and very insufferable. And very… Okay, maybe she wasn't an angel after all, but just sort of looked like one.

He studied every single detail about her; how her face was scrunched in fathomless thought, how her brows furrowed in concentration, her gray eyes narrowed at the screen of her laptop with intense determination, her cherry pink lips pressed in a firm line, her tongue slightly out on the corner of her lips.

_Those luscious pink lips…_

Percy shook his head and decided that was going too far. _Damn whoever came up with teenage hormones._ All they ever do is mess with your mind and make everything even more complicated than they already are. It's the bane of every teenager's existence.

Freaking teenage hormones are to blame for the existence of Bieber Fever. And not far into the future, every prepubescent girl will be turned into Bieber Zombies, bringing upon the destruction of mankind. _Fo sho._

Finally mustering enough willpower to look away, Percy lolled his head back, shifting slightly against the headboard of the king size bed and stared at the ceiling instead.

After two hours, the victory party was still on full blast. Bodies were everywhere, inside and outside, despite the freezing December cold. Poseidon decided to go all-out this year and hired waiters to supply drinks and foods for the duration of the party. There were makeshift bars on both sides of the main hall and a temporary DJ booth in the middle.

Music blared throughout the whole mansion as the DJ repeatedly played songs by Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Kesha, and other artists that are poisoning the young and innocent minds of today's society with vile thoughts. Then again, anyone hardly ever bothers with the lyrics as long as the tune's addictive and the _vibe_ is _right_.

It was a teenage party through and through. Couples hung out inside the various rooms doing God-knows-what, and some less inconspicuous ones were on the couches. Students pranced anywhere they felt like doing so, milling more than necessary.

And the Stoll brothers didn't even need to spike the punch. The waiters passed around a variety of alcoholic beverages that were without doubt illegal to serve to teenagers. But Poseidon being the all powerful influence that he was would be able to cover it up. He was, after all, there to be their "adult supervision", but in reality he was the one drunk off his ass and the one who needs supervising.

Percy couldn't help but think that when he wakes up in the morning, he will most certainly not feel like P. Diddy.

He mentally groaned and cursed Kesha incessantly. That was such a shameless reference to her song "Tik-Tok". Though he had to admit, other than the song totally giving the wrong message to young girls, it was very addictive. And like when you finally come to terms with death, if you admit that Kesha is one heck of a singer, life will be so much easier. Of course, admitting that publicly is a completely different story. Unless you want to be teased that you are swagger that looks like Mick Jagger.

After a hundred more random references of Kesha, Lady Gaga, and JB (Did he seriously just call him JB? -insert uber facepalm here-), Percy finally started to feel how drained he really was from the game. His eyes drooped, and he fell asleep with a very vivid dream.

_It was a dark and stormy night, and he was running along a beach in the strong hurricane. Twenty-foot pelagic waves pounded the dunes like artillery, splashing his eyes with salt, and lightning flashed across the expanse of the starless sky, making false daylight. Gusts of winds coming from all directions were throwing him to and fro, making him stumble time and time again._

_In the distance, he could barely make out groups of palm trees swaying with the strong burst of wind and a lone wooden cabin shaking with each wave of thunder. He rushed towards it, avoiding the gigantic waves threatening to drown him. But the harder he ran, the more the wind blew him back, his heels digging uselessly in the sand._

_After what seemed like a hundred years, he finally reached the cabin. He briskly burst the door open and closed it instantly as he got in. He frantically shifted inside and collapsed on the wooden floor as darkness enveloped his senses. _

_Then came the creaking sound of the floor._

_He wasn't alone._

_The creaking continued. Creak, creak, creak. There was a sound of something grinding against the floor along with the sound of the steps nearing him painfully slow. Thud, thud, thud. Pause. Thud, thud, thud._

_His heart throbbed wildly and almost leaped out of his chest as a shadow came into view in front of him. He skittered backwards as far as he can until he hit the wall. He tried to even out his breathing, but to no avail._

_Then there was a flash of lightning, revealing a dark hooded figure with flowing black robe that covered everything. In his right hand was a six foot-long blade that curved like a crescent moon. It was a scythe tinged with dark crimson, fresh blood still dripping from the blade._

_Over the roar of the storm, the ground suddenly shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, a voice so familiar, it turned Percy's blood into ice and made him freeze in fear._

_Percy shuffled nervously against the wall. This was it. This was it. THIS WAS IT!_

_Slowly, the figure lifted his hood with his left hand to reveal the face of Percy's worst nightmare. He flashed Percy the smile he loathed the most, the creepy smile that had always freaked the hell out of him._

_"Die, Percy Jackson," Justin Bieber whispered._

"AAARRRGGGAAAWWWHHHGGG!"

He got up so fast, he banged his head on something-

"Ow!

-or someone.

"Ugh…" Percy groaned, rubbing his temples before opening his eyes. "What did you do that for?"

"What did I do _that_ for? _You _were the one who clonked _me _in the head!" Annabeth rubbed her own forehead, frowning while glaring at Percy. "You were trashing in bed. I was just about to wake you up."

"Sorry," Percy replied sheepishly to which Annabeth just responded with a grunt.

"You scream like a girl."

"I do not!"

"And you drool when you sleep," she smirked as she watched Percy's face morph from shock, confusion, then embarrassment.

"I-" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand to find that he was indeed drooling. "Whatever."

"Mmm-hmm. What were you dreaming about anyway? It must be pretty scary for you to scream like that." _I do not scream like a girl! So what if it was high-pitched. That doesn't mean anything._

"You have no idea," he mumbled. The image of JB made him shudder. (From now on, he shall henceforth be called JB. _His name gives me the creeps, all right?_)

When he finally felt his heartbeat thump in a normal rate, he slid his feet down the side of the bed and stood up, stretching. He stiffened as pain shot through his shoulder.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked worriedly as she watched him pivot his left shoulder in discomfort.

Percy grimaced but nodded. "Yeah. It's getting a bit better. It'll be good by tomorrow. Darn, that was really one heck of a shove."

"You had it coming. Only an idiot like you would go ramming into someone twice your size." Annabeth strode back to the desk and sat on the swivel chair, momentarily enjoying the momentum as she spun around. Percy opened his mouth to retort but she cut him to it. "And I know it's part of the game, but I still think it's stupid. Then again, it's no surprise to me since _you are_ stupid."

Annabeth smiled smugly as she saw him scowling at her. She then turned her attention back to her laptop.

"What are you doing anyway? You've been there for hours." Percy leaned next to her to check, but she quickly closed her laptop.

She turned the chair and faced him, crossing her arms. "None of your beeswax."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "You're forgetting whose territory you are in."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Annabeth quirked an eyebrow, amused.

_If THAT's how you want to play it…_

One second, she's just sitting there, staring Percy down. (Or up. Whatever floats your boat.) Then suddenly, she's spinning on the chair at a rate that her stomach didn't appreciate, thank you very much.

"PEEERRRCYYY…!"

Percy just cackled in delight at his friend's distress. He's such a good friend.

He spun Annabeth around and around, until she finally summoned enough strength to shove him back. Percy was caught off guard and stumbled backwards, and Annabeth took the opportunity. She planted her feet firmly on the floor to stop the chair from whirling and quickly stood up before Percy could recover.

She, however, didn't think of the repercussions of her ingenious plan.

Everything in her vision started to spin, and she felt nausea overwhelm her. _Ugh, head rush._ Her stomach churned so she put her hands over her mouth to stop herself from puking her guts out. She tried to walk, but she just swayed to and fro like a wasted wino. Her knees buckled underneath her, and she closed her eyes and quickly grappled unto something -or someone- that yelped with an "Eck!"

Fortunately, she ended up falling on her back on the bed. Unfortunately, she dragged Percy to end up on top of her.

She kept her eyes shut as she tried to recover, breathing in and out.

Percy hovered on top of her, his arms on both of her sides to keep him from squishing her. He faintly noticed that her hand was still gripping the front of his shirt. They stayed like that for seconds, minutes, hours? He didn't know. He just watched her chest (get your mind out of the gutter) rise and fall, her eyes still closed.

Finally, Annabeth opened her eyes and peered at Percy who was watching her intently. Why the frick was the world so intent on always having them end up in that position. Was there a god or goddess out there playing with them? She most certainly did _not _want to be part of some god/goddess TV show.

It was the second time they've ended up in that position, the first one being the dodgeball episode. But this time, they were completely alone. The thought made both their hearts race against each other. And at the same time, they recalled the almost-kiss they had just a week ago.

_Those luscious pink lips… Just one..._

Percy started to lean in, Annabeth's hand still on his chest. Her eyes fluttered close as she awaited what was about to come.

_This is not going to end well. This is not going to end well. THIS IS NOT GOING TO END-_

The door suddenly flew open. "Hey, Perce, your dad is so wasted he- Oh, God! I did _not_ need to see that. I, uh… You know what, I'll just, uh, go. And I'll, uh, lock the door." Grover hastily went out, and closed (and locked) the door behind him.

Percy quickly got on his feet while Annabeth slowly sat up on the edge of the bed.

"I, uh, have to go to the bathroom." Percy excused himself and anxiously made his way to the bathroom, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Annabeth. He splashed his face with water and propped himself on the sink. What would have happened if Grover didn't barge in on them? Would they actually kiss? And then what would happen to them after that?

_Just go with the flow. Go with the flow. The flow. Flow_

He kept on repeating his mantra, then he groaned. _Just _going with the flow doesn't seem like a good idea this time. If he did go with the flow, one of them (or probably both of them) will end up naked and... He shook his head. Wrong train of thought.

That was the second time they almost kissed. They _need _to talk about whatever's going on between them. They _need _to figure it out. But then again, he's one to talk. After all, he's not one who just goes about talking with regard to his feelings.

He wiped his face with a towel, and after inhaling deeply, he muttered to himself, "Here goes nothing."

He stepped out of the bathroom and saw Annabeth already packing her laptop and fixing her things.

"Hey, uh…"

"I should go. It's getting late."

Percy scratched the back of his neck and ruffled his hair. She's avoiding the issue again. _Fine. If that's what she wants._

"How are you going home?"

"I'll call dad to come pick me up."

"In-" He checked the clock on the wall. "-one in the morning? I doubt he's still awake, let alone willing to drive way out here."

"Then what do you want me to do! I can't just stay here!" Annabeth yelled and threw her hands in exasperation. She was completely frustrated. And it's clearly not just because she can't go home.

Percy suddenly had one of his rare lightbulb moments, even if his idea wasn't actually lightbulb-worthy anyway. "Actually, you can do just that."

"Wh- what? No!"

"Annabeth. Stay."

"But-"

"Look. I'll ask dad to call your parents first thing in the morning and explain, okay?"

Annabeth thought about it and half-smiled. Percy took that as a good sign. "Well, it's already past midnight, so technically, it's already _first thing in the morning_."

Percy rolled his eyes, but he grinned anyway. "Wiseass."

"What?" Annabeth hollered angrily.

"I mean, uh… Wise girl!" Percy recovered.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and looked at him incredulously. "Wise girl?"

"Yeah. You know, 'cause you're _sooo _smart and _know everything_."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled at his comeback. "Whatever, kelp-for-brains."

"Kelp-for-brains? Seriously? I didn't know someone like you would watch Spongebob." Percy crossed his arms and looked at her, amused.

"The fact that you caught the reference is equally as humiliating."

"Touché."

Silence.

_Hey, silence, what's up?_

"So, uh, where should I stay?" Annabeth finally asked.

"Stay right here," Percy replied.

"I'm not sleeping in the same room as you, let alone in the same bed," she answered defiantly. _Well, there goes my plan. He-he._

"Relax. I'll stay in another room. We call this 'The Big House' for a reason." Percy walked to his closet and rummaged through his old clothes. He pulled a thick maroon shirt and one of his old gray sweatpants to give to Annabeth. Then he took another set of clothes for himself, to replace the smelly and sweaty orange shirt he was wearing. "Here, you can change into these."

Annabeth was only wearing a loose gray shirt and slightly loose light-blue jeans. It would be uncomfortable to sleep in them, so she took the set of clothes hesitantly, a ghost of a blush creeping to her face. Percy found it cute, how she blushed at little things. "Thanks."

Percy walked to the door and stepped out. "If you need anything, I'll be in the left room at the end of the hall.

"Okay," Annabeth nodded.

They stared at each other for a while before Percy finally bid her goodnight. "Good night, Wise Girl."

As he closed the door, he heard her mumble, "Good night, Seaweed Brain."

He just stood there for a moment and furrowed his eyebrows. _Seaweed Brain?_

He shook his head and decided to check on the party. And his dad. Grover mentioned something about Poseidon, and he's off to find out what was wrong.

_An inspection he will go, an inspection he will go. Hi-ho the dairy-o, an inspection he will go._

A few of his schoolmates have managed to scatter across the second floor. Couples were grinding and making out on the staircase, their faces completely vacuumed, and two particular couples were doing some very inappropriate things on the railing. It was YouTube-worthy. Too bad he didn't have a camera with him.

He made his way down and immediately drowned in the noise. Bad Romance was blasting from the speakers, and everyone was pretty much dancing to it. His dad really prepped the mansion so it seemed like a bar. The lights were completely dim and neon lights flashed overhead. And what was a party if there wasn't a strong smell of beer and sweat in the air.

Percy pushed through the throngs of the crowd. Everyone from school was practically here. Students were all over the place swaying and humping, sitting, standing, having a snuggle-fest. It was complete chaos. And he had to admit, it was one hell of a party. Too bad he didn't want any part of it.

His hair kept falling in front of his eyes, and he flicked it out of his sight every single time. He was starting to sweat from too much body heat radiating in the area. Schoolmates he barely knew kept bumping into him and greeting him.

"Hey, man! Awwweeesooommmeee parteh!"

"Yo, Persheh! Great geym meh man!"

"Duuudddeee! We should totally hang out sometime."

"Percy, I'm your bitch! Marry me!"

When he heard the last one, he made a break for it. One of the reasons -okay, the main reason- he stayed inside his room was to avoid the freaky fangirls he had. (Why he has fangirls? He's too shallow to figure it out by himself.) They never went to extreme measures before, but now that they were drunk, they were jumping him every opportunity they got.

"'Scuse me! Sorry! Move, move!" He winced as he squeezed his way through the crowd, ignoring the grunts and shouts of indignation that was thrown his way. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

He made it across the main hall and hid in a dark corner. Running and ramming into football players? No problem. Running away from rabid fangirls? BIG GIGANTIC NIGHTMARE. (All caps required.)

He settled against the wall, catching his breath. And that's when he heard it. Sobbing. Like a little girl crying. He looked at where it was coming from. And what he saw shocked him even more. It wasn't a little girl.

"Dad?" He slowly approached his dad crouched in the corner. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Poseidon muttered something, but Percy couldn't hear it over the music. He pulled him up and dragged him away from the chaotic room. He glanced at his dad from time to time, wondering what would make him cry. And the thought broke his heart. It's probably something big to make someone like his dad cry.

Percy hauled Poseidon to his office where it was a little more silent as the noise got muffled in the walls. He sat him on the leather couch and left him there to get a glass of water.

When he got back, Poseidon was bawling his eyes out. Percy patted his shoulder affectionately and handed him the glass of water. He sat beside him as he drank the water. Poseidon wasn't completely sobered up yet, and he still strongly smelled of liquor.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Percy asked when Poseidon finally calmed a little.

He stared at the glass of water for a moment, then he started crying again. "-sob- …can't believe it… -sob- …dead… -sob- …she's gone… -sob-"

Percy's heart twisted. There were only a few important women in his dad's life, and only two would probably make him cry like this. Was it Amy? -cough cough good riddance cough cough- Or was it… his mom?

He started to panic and tried to get the attention of Poseidon, but he just kept wailing. "Dad… Dad… Who died? Dad!"

But before he could get an answer, Grover barged in again. The man just doesn't know how to knock. "There you are! Oh, good you got him. I've been looking everywhere for him."

Percy stood frantically and bombarded Grover with questions. "Why is he crying? Who died? And why does the DJ keep repeating Lady Gaga?" He recognized Poker Face blaring outside. He shook his head. Why was he even concerned about _Lady Gaga_? It was probably because of the smell of alcohol in the air. Yep, that was it.

"It's a tribute," Grover answered. Percy pinched his nose. Out of all the questions, he just had to answer the one about _LADY FREAKING GAGA!_

Of course, he was quite intrigued himself. "Tribute? For what?"

"Haven't you heard?"

"Quit stalling and answer the question."

"Which one?" Grover asked. Percy's blood boiled as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Ugh! Grover!"

"Okay, okay. Look. She's dead," Grover answered lightheartedly, and he appeared like he didn't even care.

Percy's eyes widened, and his body shook nervously. He was about to finally find out who. "Who?" he asked cautiously.

"Lady Gaga!" Poseidon screamed, then cried again.

Percy's world was officially turned upside down, twisted inside out, puked out of the universe's mouth, and flushed down a black hole. "That's why he's crying?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep. Well, he's too wasted to understand what the news meant exactly. Lady Gaga isn't _dead_ dead."

"So she's not dead?"

"Yes. And no."

"Ugh! Elaborate!"

"Look, just ask around, okay? Why are you even so concerned about Lady Gaga anyway?" Grover raised an eyebrow at his best friend, grinning knowingly.

"I-" Percy opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "Hmm… You're right."

"Well, I gotta go." Grover started his way to the door, but before he stepped out, he added nonchalantly, "You know, you're so much like your dad."

"Why does everyone keep saying that!" Percy threw his hands in the air.

"Because it's true?" Grover chuckled. "See you later, man."

"Yeah, see you later, G-man," Percy mumbled.

He sighed to himself and looked at his dad still crying. He got all worked up for nothing. He really can't believe it. Poseidon, of all people, is crying about Lady Gaga! She officially needs to obliterated out of this world.

* * *

Annabeth turned.

And turned.

And turned.

And… what's the point of even telling you this?

Annabeth sighed and sat up on the bed. It's been an hour since Percy left her in the room. An hour of hopelessly trying to sleep. An hour of trashing and turning. An hour of contemplating about… nothing. It wasn't like she was thinking about nothing, but it was actually because there was _too much_ in her mind, she couldn't come up with a single thought to focus on.

There was just too much, her brain couldn't quite comprehend what was even happening anymore. Her mind was covered with a blanket of nothingness, and no matter how hard she tried to grasp the understanding she seeks, it keeps on fading out of her reach. Her brain normally goes a million thoughts an hour, but now it was going a bajillion thoughts a bajillisecond.

She tried everything. Distraction. Meditation. Entertainment. Still nothing. Her mind still felt numb. She wished for even just a single comprehension to dawn on her, at least that was better than the vast expanse of desolated complexity that was currently her brain.

She went with a different approach. She replayed the last few hours in her mind.

An hour ago, Percy was about to kiss her. Again. And since she couldn't exactly deliberate about it, she tries her new approach. Talk to herself. Not exactly the greatest of her ideas, but it was the only thing she could come up with as of the moment.

What exactly did she feel when he was about to kiss her? She felt… exhilarated and elated. Sure, she could blame it on her hormones. She couldn't exactly deny the fact that Percy was good-looking and handsome and attractive and gorgeous and hot and sexy and…

Annabeth groaned. Bad approach. Bad approach.

Moving on… What did she feel about Percy? Every time she sees him smiling, laughing, frowning, thinking, or just plainly doing nothing, her stomach does flips. Does that mean she has feelings for him? To be precise, does that mean she likes him? Or was it deeper than that? Did she… love him?

Groaning again, Annabeth put her hands on her face and collapsed back on the bed into a crumpled heap of limbs, frustration bubbling inside her. SHE FRICKING COULDN'T THINK! And she hated it. She felt utterly useless.

She can't sort her feelings if she couldn't think. If she completely followed her heart, it will just end up in heartbreak, _that_ she was sure of. She couldn't trust her heart anymore. Especially now when it was torn in two.

_Why did it have to be now? He just had to come back into my life in the worst time ever._

She sighed and flashback-ed to the game.

_Fans of the two opposing teams were erupting in cheers, both sides respectively led by their own cheerleaders. The ones on the side of Goode High were stomping their feet on the bleachers, clapping their hands, and pumping their fists in the air, completely synchronized in chanting "We will rock you!"._

_A group of die-hard fans, led by the Stoll brothers, had their shirts off and had each letter of "Goode High FTW" painted on their stomachs. Regrettably, it was December, and the last snowstorm to hit New York was just a few days ago, so instead of having their hands raised up high and screaming, they had their arms covering their bodies and their teeth chattering in the cold. They obviously thought hard about their stunt._

_Like any classic theatric championship football game, the game is between two rivaling teams; the opponent is in the lead with the score Goode High: 10, Guest: 14; the game clock is down to less than a minute; the fans are screaming the name of the star quarterback "Tony! Tony! Tony!"; the team is huddled to plan their final play. You're probably thinking, "Cliché much?". Well, you've seen nothing yet. Not to mention it was the truth._

_Even though Annabeth had no idea how the game is supposedly played, she's observed through weeks of watching how the game works. And being the typical strategist that she was, her mind started going through possible plays they could do to ensure their win, even if it was only to herself. It didn't matter as long as she had fun with herself. And that extremely sounded wrong, so please get your mind out of the gutter._

_Annabeth watched as the team broke apart from their huddle and assembled to their formation. Her eyes subconsciously landed on Percy. And he was looking at the crowd. Directly at her. And he was smiling. She couldn't help but smile back as her stomach did numerous flips that could best even dolphins._

_The next few seconds were a blur to her. All her brain could process was the image of a certain green-eyed boy and his smile. The next thing she knew, their side was roaring in excitement. Or to be more precise, in victory._

_The game was over, and Goode High has won the championship. They apparently used Percy as a bait to draw the defense away, and Tony launched a Hail-Mary pass to Beckendorf at the end field. Like what Minerva __told her, it was a plan worthy of Athena._

_Everyone from their side got out of the bleachers and rushed towards the team to congratulate them._

_Annabeth, along with Thalia, Ruby, Nico, Grover and Judd, waited for the mass of students to disperse before they approached. She noticed Tony somewhere to the sides with Poseidon talking to a few people who seemed to be college scouts._

_They finally found Percy with Bianca talking to a couple and a young boy who looked to be around six. Annabeth noticed Mr. Blofis, so she assumed that the brown haired woman was Percy's mom._

_Percy caught sight of them and called the group to them. The woman turned to them and gave a warm smile. She approached Thalia first and gave her a hug. "Thalia! Oh, look at you. You grow up so fast! I remember when you were still so little you usually-"_

_"Sally…" Mr. Blofis interrupted, smiling._

_"Oh, yes. Well, you all know me, I do get carried away," she smiled warmly as she gave everyone a hug, until she got to Annabeth. "Hi. I don't believe we've met."_

_Annabeth opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Paul cut her to it. "This is Annabeth. Annabeth, Percy's mom."_

_Sally's face lit up. "So, you're Annabeth! It's nice to finally meet you. My two boys over here have told me a lot about you."_

_"Mom..." Percy warned nervously, but Annabeth just ignored him. His mom was very friendly, and she had a welcoming personality that Annabeth couldn't help but enjoy._

_"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Blofis," Annabeth replied, smiling._

_Sally waved her hand. "Oh, please. You're practically family, so call me Sally, okay?"_

_Annabeth was stunned. Sally had known her for the better part of barely two minutes and she already treats her as one of them. "Uh, sure, Mrs.- I mean, Sally."_

_Sally smiled at her, and after that, everyone was wrapped up in their own chitchat and having a great time. __Conversation didn't slow down as they all exchanged stories and talked about random topics. _

_"So, Perce. How does it feel to be a champ again?" Nico asked._

_"Meh," Percy shrugged and grinned._

_"You're so full of yourself." Thalia punched him lightly in the shoulder, and he recoiled in pain. Thalia looked worried. "You okay?"_

_"Yeah. It just hurts a bit," Percy replied, testing his shoulder. "That big guy was too huge for comfort."_

_"It's your fault though. If you're the bait, you're supposed to act like one and let them chase you, and not you going head-on towards one," Annabeth pointed out._

_Percy stuck his tongue out at her. "I got the job done, didn't I? That's what matters."_

_Annabeth did the same and stuck her tongue out at him. "I got the job done, didn't I? That's what matters, meh, meh, meh," she mimicked. Percy raised his eyebrows, amused at her theatrics. He started chasing her around after that while everyone laughed at how immature and out of character they were acting._

_Later, Annabeth was introduced to Tony's little brother, Tyson. "You are pretty," he told her, and she blushed. Percy found it cute how the littlest compliment made her blush. It made her seem more innocent. He shook his head. Why was he even thinking like that about her?_

_Annabeth was dumbfounded when she figured that Percy was born in between Tony and Tyson. That meant Poseidon cheated on her wife, and Percy was an illegitimate child. She already knew about it, but hearing and realizing it now, it seems it's actually more complicated than that._

_But she shook the thought off because they were having too much fun. Except for the part where she and Percy were teased about auditioning for the school play when Paul brought it up, and Nico and Judd each earned a smack behind the head for some inappropriate innuendos. Sexist pigs._

_Finally, Paul and Sally bid them farewell, and Annabeth was taken aback when they both gave her hugs. In her family, they barely hugged each other or display any kind of affection. They weren't exactly huggers or people of action. They were more of people of thought and sharing. But Paul and Sally were giving away hugs to as simple as saying goodbye. It was something new to her. And it was especially weird having your teacher hug you._

_That left them celebrating on their own and getting excited for the victory party. She wasn't exactly excited for the party, but she already got permission from her dad and step-mom. And it was time she could spend with her friends before the break. Even if they've already planned tons of things to do together during the break._

_She then noticed that Percy was no longer with them and was talking to a player of the opposing team. She couldn't quite place it, but the guy looked very familiar. Very familiar, indeed._

_And as Percy led him towards them, Annabeth's breath hitched. "You remember the gang: Thalia, Ruby, Bianca, Grover, Nico, Judd." The guy nodded to each one of them, smiling. Then his eyes landed on Annabeth. "And this is-"_

_"Annabeth?" the boy asked as he removed his helmet._

_He looked the same as she remembered, with his cropped sandy hair, bright blue eyes, and heart-wrenching smile. Annabeth was finally able to let out the breath she's been holding and croaked, "Luke."_

* * *

The party finally ended after seven-freaking-hours. Who knew a party could last that long?

The Big House was completely trashed, inside and out. Cups, plastic wrappers, cans, bottles, glasses, and passed-out wasted teenagers were scattered everywhere. And yes, "passed-out wasted teenagers" belong to that group.

Most of the students filed out, the last group leaving at about three in the morning. The few who decided to crash there were the Stoll brothers, some of the team like Beckendorf and Jake, a few cheerleaders and one in particular, Silena, Beck's girlfriend, and some other students that Percy knew and were friends with but wasn't exactly close with. Like Clarisse. Boy, did they have history.

Poseidon, after sobering up, started ordering around people to clean the place.

"Dad, it's _three _in the _morning_. We could clean up later."

"Percy, you do as I say or-"

"Or I go around telling everyone how you cried when you found out that Lady Gaga is dead, when in fact she isn't exactly dead."

Poseidon gaped at his son, then he glared at him when he recovered. "Fine. But swear on it that you're going to clean later."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yes, dad. I swear on the not-so-dead body of Lady Gaga that I will clean later."

Poseidon's shocked face was priceless, and he sighed in defeat as he walked away, muttering, "I am never going to drink again."

_Yeah, right. Like hell you aren't,_ Percy thought. He checked on the others. Thalia and Bianca were sharing the room next to Percy's room (the one Annabeth was in), Nico was passed out on one of the couches, the Stoll brothers were still wandering around the hallways completely drunk and mumbling to themselves, and a few groups of his schoolmates and classmates were still awake having conversations. There were around forty of them staying in the house.

He found Judd, Beckendorf, Jake, Chris, Silena, Clarisse, Ruby and Katie forming a circle in the main hall. They were probably playing Truth or Dare, or BS. Those were the only two games that they usually enjoyed.

He later found Grover sitting in the kitchen, eating. "Hey, G-man. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, eating? I think it's supposed to be obvious," Grover grinned.

Percy smiled back. "I meant what are you doing here by yourself."

Grover shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do. Can't sleep. So..." he trailed off as he took a bite out of his PB and J.

Percy nodded and took a seat next to Grover on the counter. They stayed in comfortable silence for a while, before Grover asked a question Percy dreaded.

"What's up with you and Annabeth?"

Percy's eyes widened, and he shifted on his seat. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"C'mon, Perce. We've been best friends for years. I usually know what you're thinking and what you're feeling."

"Then I suppose you already know the answer to your own question," he replied, staring at the wall.

"Hmm..." Grover answered lazily. He did, in fact, already know the answer. He just wanted Percy to admit it to himself. Sure, at first, he was a little jealous at how Annabeth was mostly getting Percy's attention. He didn't like how he was slowly fading in the background. He was, after all, the best friend. And Annabeth was the new girl. But don't take it the wrong way. He didn't have any grudges against Annabeth. In fact, he loved her. But as a friend and as a sister figure.

As the weeks flew by, it hit him. Watching the two of them, he figured that nothing was ever coming between what he and Percy had. What Annabeth and Percy had was completely different. Sure, they acted like best friends and like they've known each other for a long time, but deep down, Grover knew that they were more than that. And they were both too stubborn or too scared to do something about it.

They were practically soulmates. Though Grover wasn't entirely sure if that soulmate-kind-of bond was limited to friendship or to something more. He knew he shouldn't meddle with them, and that he should let them handle it themselves, but it was starting to frustrate him. And another cause of his frustration was he was the only one who's aware of that revelation, and he couldn't do anything about it.

For now, he'll try getting Percy to realize it and admit it.

And he has the help of the others anway. Percy and Annabeth were completely oblivious to the fact that the others have been talking and setting them up behind their backs. Grover chuckled to himself. The pair has tons of surprises coming their way.

* * *

Later, Percy finally fell into a restful sleep, a smile gracing his lips as he dreamed about a certain teenager. And boy was he glad that it was not JB.

And certainly enough, when he woke up later in the morning, he didn't feel like P. Diddy.

* * *

Me: Dun, dun, dun. Luke finally makes his appearance! What do you have to say about that, huh, Annabeth?

Annabeth: I, uh... Don't care?

Me: Percy! She's cheating on you!

Percy: I hate you, Annabeth! I hate you!

Grover: Guys, please. Just. Stop.

Me: Bleh, whatever. By the way, I'm not a Justin Bieber hater or anything. Or Lady Gaga hater. Or Kesha hater. Or whoever hater. I love everyone, FYI!

Annabeth: You're a sad, sad creeper.

Me: -glares- Anyway, seriously, if you're a JB fan, don't take the bashing to heart. It's just part of the story. Peace yo! :)

Percy: Please, stop him from making a fool out of himself!

Grover: Don't! He's funny!


	15. Sophomore Winter Break 1

Me: Sorry, sorry, sorry! Sooorrryyy...! Sorry for the late update. And sorry for those who might have been offended by the artist bashing I did last chapter. I hope you don't take it to heart. It was simply part of the story. For humor purposes.

Ahem... Okay, enough with that. But seriously, sorry for the late update. I do have a good excuse though. It's Finals week. And guess what, I'm taking a break just to give you guys a chapter! Forgive me?

And also, **I have an important question at the end. Please read it and answer.**

Annabeth: Why should they? You're just an egotistical brat.

Me: I'm ignoring you! Anyway, fair warning: this chapter contains a few expletives. But let's be honest, I'm pretty sure you guys have thought of much much worse things.

Percy: You're one to talk.

Me: Yes, I am. Like you're any better! I mean... Okay, we're getting sidetracked. Sorry 'bout that. Moving on... It's kinda weird that I get long reviews when I post long chapters. This is a shorter one. Does that mean you'll give me short reviews? Well, no matter. As long as you do review! So shout-outs to my awesome **reviewers** and **readers**!

To **Spelly-chan** for the longest review ever! To my dear friend **Anna145** for coping with my creepiness. ;)

And lastly, to **P B and J** again: Maybe you should create an account so we could talk in PMs. Sorry, but I don't do emails for personal reasons. I don't know how you got the idea that I may be Singaporean, but I'm not. But no worries, I'm not mad about that. :) And I'm also NOT above 20. I guess I'm a little flattered if you think I'm mature enough to be above 20. Wow, this is a long one. I'll close now. I really like your ideas, and you've given me some things that I can use for twists. More, more, more. ;)

Alright, Grover, take it away!

Grover: Yo! 'Sup, mah dudes and dudettes! This hurr yo is the start of Sophomore Winter Break. Here's Holy Sh-, the latest chapter to Just Go With The Flow!

* * *

**Sophomore Winter Break 1: Holy Sh-**

* * *

"Percy, you're taking _too _long!" Nico yelled, banging on the door. I was currently taking a shower, and I'm taking my sweet, sweet time. The only downside was Nico yelling and banging on the door.

"Sue me!" I yelled back, letting the steaming shower soak my body.

"I need to _go_!"

"Then go!"

"PEEERRRCYYY!"

I groaned. Sharing a bathroom, let alone an apartment, with another guy can be a pain in the butt, especially when you're taking a long shower. He's always banging on the door, yelling "You take longer than a girl!" or "Get out, Ken!". If you knew anything about Barbie dolls, then you probably know that Ken was the pretty boy that Barbie went out with. Now, just one question. How the hell did I know something about _Barbie_? Ah, my own mind amazes me sometimes.

I stood under the hot water as it rushed over me. It felt good to let the water wash away all my thoughts and worries. Well, at least for the time being, that is. My thoughts would just wander anywhere so I won't even notice I was actually thinking. And yes, don't be so surprised. Your beloved Percy Jackson also thinks. I still have a brain, you know, even though it's made out of seaweed as a certain someone would say.

Showers always relaxed me. Even as simple as pouring a bottle of water over my head makes me extremely content. Just the feeling of water alone against my skin always made me feel at ease. Like it was part of me. Part of my blood. Well, maybe it _is_ part of my blood, since my dad's a Marine Biologist and all. But he gave up that career track so he and his brothers could start Olympus Enterprises.

Nonetheless, he still utilizes his background in Marine Biology when it comes to the secret developments involved in Olympus. On the outside, the company is a manufacturer of various land, air, and sea transport vehicles. But behind closed doors, the company conducts researches ranging from weaponry development to environmental preservation to technology advancement. And no worries, the government is completely aware of this. (It's a conspiracy, I tell you! He-he.)

Now, how do I know all about these? Well, our dads have been prepping us throughout our childhood years since, soon enough, we'll be the ones running the company. And lately, the company has been having… issues. And we, the Children of Olympus (I know right? We need a better group name.), have been assigned to take care of these issues since our dads, including the Board of Directors, have to keep the secrecy and avoid publicity.

But enough about that. I'm here in the shower to unwind all the stress and forget all about my problems. It's just me and the shower and the water and-

_Thud! Thud! Thud!_

"Percy! Pleeeaaassseee…"

I sighed. I can't just ignore him now. He just said the magic word. And no one -and I really mean no one- can say "no" to the magic word. Hmm. I wonder if you can _get some_ if you said "please" while asking someone to… _you know_. -wink, wink- _Please_, don't judge me. I'm a guy, what do you expect?

Ahem. Moving on…

This means my special alone time's over. Your mind's not in the gutter, is it? Good. I don't need you misinterpreting my statement. I remember a time when that could've meant about a ton of other things, like this, me taking a shower, or you reading this. But in our generation today, with our sick twisted minds, it only means one thing, and one thing only. And I'm pretty sure you all know what I mean. If you're too innocent to figure it out, please don't ask.

I turned off the shower, instantly missing the hot water pounding on my skin, and grabbed the towel to dry myself. The steam was quite thick inside the bathroom. Huh. I guess I really did take my sweet time. Time sure flies when you're having fun, and I was definitely having fun with myself. Ugh, that sounded _so_ wrong. And that just reinforced more wrong thoughts on my previous statement. You know what, I'll just stop talking before any of you get scarred. I don't want you chasing me with a dynamite and screaming "AAAYYYOOO!". (And I really need to stop referencing songs.)

I wrapped the towel around my waist and opened the door, Nico still banging. "I'm done. Sheesh," I said with an irritated voice as I stepped out.

"Finally!" Nico ran in, doing a weird dance while holding his crotch. Seconds later, I heard him sigh in relief while flushing the toilet. I chuckled to myself as he walked out, a small smile plastered on his face. He really needed to _go_. "Whew. I really thought it was about to burst," he said in a relieved tone, grinning.

"Well, I'm glad that's out of your system. We don't need more of your mess in the apartment, let alone your piss."

"Ha-ha. You're so funny, I forgot to laugh. Just go."

"Yeah, yeah."

I went to my bedroom to get changed for the event of the day. We were throwing a surprise birthday party for Thalia. Sure, she was turning sixteen, and she could have one of those wicked awesome (Sarcasm, people. Sarcasm.) sweet sixteen birthdays they show on TV. But knowing Thalia, she wouldn't want anything like that. So, we're just gonna go to their place, surprise the living daylights out of her, and go out.

I was putting on a brown hoodie when Nico started banging on my door. "Perce, we're gonna be late!"

If Grover had an issue with not knocking, Nico had an issue with over-knocking. They really complement each other. I wonder if they'll hook up. Gross mental image, gross mental image. Ugh! It burns!

God, I'm such a creeper.

I opened the door and glared at Nico. "What's your problem? It's _seven _in the _morning _on a _holiday_."

"But we need to go! _Now_."

"Why? Thalia won't wake up 'til ten, and Bianca told us to be there at around nine."

"Well, we still need to prepare our _surprise_," he grinned mischievously. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What are you up to, Nic?"

He waved a hand in dismissal. "It's nothing. Now, come on. We've got about two hours left to set everything up."

I crossed my arms defiantly. "No. Whatever you're planning, I'm not gonna be a part of it."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh, really? Do I need to remind you what she gave you for your birthday?"

I stared at the wall behind him, my eyes widening, my vision glazing, and all those shenanigans you do when you have a flashback moment.

_August 18 - Percy's apartment_

_"Happy birthday, aqua brat." I glared at Thalia, but she just laughed and hugged me, handing me a wrapped gift box. "Here."_

_"What is it?" I asked warily. At some point when we were kids, we started pranking each other on our birthdays. I can't even remember who started it. -cough cough Nico cough cough- I figured earlier what Nico was up to, and I set him up so that his prank backfired. Burn. And now, he's completely covered with flour and glaring at me with bloodshot eyes. He looks so pale, he looks like the prince of death._

_"Something for your hair," Thalia replied, ruffling my hair to make her point. "Promise to use it later?"_

_I narrowed my eyes at her as I opened the gift, tearing the checkered yellow gift wrapper. Turns out it's just a box set of a shampoo and a conditioner. "What are you up to, Thals?" I asked skeptically._

_She put her hands up. "Look, I've had enough with the prank wars. It's going on for years, and I think it's time to stop."_

_"Then what are these for?" I asked, holding the shampoo and conditioner with one hand._

_"Think of it as a peace offering. Besides, you need them. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" she teased, chuckling._

_I stared at her suspiciously for a while before finally deciding to let it go. "Alright. I promise," I nodded. If she really wants to get off my back, then nothing's stopping her. At least next year, I'll only have to worry about Nico._

_That night, I learned to NEVER trust Thalia ever again._

_Later, I took a shower because Bianca 'accidentally' shoved a slice of the cake on my face. Yeah, right. "It was an accident" my ass! She was grinning like a Cheshire cat for crying out loud!_

_I let the steaming shower soak my hair for minutes. It was stickier than usual because of the icing that got on it. Not bubblegum sticky, but just... well, sticky. And not that kind of sticky either. You know what I'm talking about. Seriously, get your mind out of the gutter._

_When I was about to get out of the shower, my eyes landed on the shampoo and the conditioner. _(Now that I think about it, my ADHD is to blame for that incident. Darn it, me!) _There was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind, telling me that I shouldn't bother using the shampoo. I was already rinsed anyway. But I shrugged it off. And since I promised Thalia… _(Me and my loyalty. I guess I brought it upon myself.)

_As I shampooed and conditioned my hair, I couldn't help but smile stupidly. It was somewhat a very comforting and nice feeling. And for once, my hair actually felt very soft. I suppose it was kinda relaxing in a way. I could actually get used to this._

_I got out of the shower after a few minutes, got dressed for bed, and started for the kitchen since I was STARVING. The others inhaled all the food that they prepared for ME, the birthday boy, and I end up being the one eating nothing. I have such great friends._

_I fixed myself a PB and J sandwich and grabbed a can of Dr. Pepper from the fridge. As I was about to step out of the kitchen, there was suddenly a bight flash and I was practically blinded, making me drop the sandwich and Dr. Pepper on the floor. Such a waste. Most of the lights were already turned off in the apartment, so all I could see for seconds was a bright billow of pure white. I heard hoots of laughter as I tried to make my way through the apartment._

_When my vision finally cleared, there in front of me were Nico, Grover, Bianca, and-_

_"Thalia," I growled. She had a camera in one hand while her other hand was grasping her stomach as she howled with laughter. The other three were already on the floor rolling in hysterics. I was finally fed up, so I asked, growling, "What's so funny?"_

_When Thalia finally calmed down, she put a hand on her hip and smirked. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" she asked, repeating her question from earlier that day. My eyes widened in realization, and I scuffled towards the bathroom. No, no, no..._

_"Someone's in a hurry," Nico commented, and that started a new round of hysterics. Ha-ha, very funny. But I completely ignored them as I burst through the door of the bathroom. And when I finally caught sight of myself in the mirror, my jaw dropped and my mouth formed a bighugelargegigantic "O"._

_Hair… Color… Pink…_

_Words… Failed… Me…_

_"THALIA!" I bellowed as I stomped out of the bathroom, my voice echoing uselessly inside the empty apartment._

_Did you read that properly?_

_Yes. I said "empty apartment"._

_They already vacated the place, thinking they could run away. Oh, no, no, no. They just postponed their funerals. They will suffer the wrath of Percy Jackson! -insert wicked badass evil laugh here-_

_Now, time to think of a way to get my hair back to black… _(That was an unintentional Amy Winehouse reference. Promise!)

_December 22 (Present time) - Percy's apartment_

I uncrossed my arms and looked at Nico. He grinned, most probably seeing the evil glint in my eyes. He knew he got me. Sure, I know we'll get in trouble for whatever he's planning, and we will most likely end up in jail. But right now, all I could think about is getting revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

"What's the plan?"

* * *

"Holy sh-"

"Language!" Bianca yelled, making her way to the kitchen as Ruby and Annabeth gawked at the insides of the 'apartment'. It was a penthouse filled with lofty ceilings, a remote-controlled fireplace, a giant flat screen TV complete with surround sound, and a sunken living room filled with plush leather couches and chairs. The wall to the side was made of all glass windows, revealing a wide and fabulous view of the horizon over West Manhattan.

"Holy _shit_," Ruby repeated, this time whispering it to Annabeth, and she just nodded in agreement as she was still completely entranced. Words were useless in describing the place.

"Hey, guys. We should really start now. We're running out of time," Bianca called out to them.

Finally breaking free from their stupor, the two made their way to the kitchen, but just ended up gawking again at the sight of the flawless and gleaming kitchen filled with high priced appliances. There was a bar counter at the center dividing the kitchen and the dining room. It was made out of soft maple wood like everything else in the kitchen, from the stools to the cupboards. The kitchen counter glistened with its marble exterior like it was recently polished. The dining room was completely visible through the bar counter, with the large rectangular table made out of dark mahogany wood mostly taking the space. There were no chandeliers or any other decoration in the room. It was plain simple yet very elegant.

"_This _is an _apartment_?" Ruby wondered out loud, voicing out both hers and Annabeth's thoughts.

"Well, not really. It's a $3 million penthouse. Not that we really paid for it or anything. Olympus actually owns the whole building, and you know, just for fun, our parents just up and decided to throw us here," Bianca responded harshly, her tone shockingly vicious and icy. Ananbeth was slightly awed at how they could live in something like this and still be completely levelheaded and not be some stuck up prick, but she also understood how they felt about being unnoticed by their parents. It was, after all, exactly how she felt regarding her mother.

"So, uh, what are we doing?" Ruby asked, changing the topic. Bianca's mood suddenly shifted back to her usual cheery self, smiling broadly. But the next words that came out of her mouth were something Annabeth dreaded with a burning passion.

"We're gonna cook!" And all Annabeth could think about was Ruby's previous statement. _Holy shit._

They spent the next hour cooking and preparing Thalia a breakfast in bed. Well, Ruby and Bianca were cooking, and Annabeth just stood there, handing them the utensils and ingredients they needed. She didn't want to risk poisoning Thalia, let alone on her _birthday_. That would be _baaad_. She could see the headline for tomorrow's paper: "Extra! Extra! Teenage girl accidentally killed on her birthday after being served a burnt toast!". That won't go very well with her nonexistent dream to be a great chef.

Annabeth murmured her opinions and occasionally agreed as the other two gushed on and on about various gossips circulating the school. Although she wasn't one to gossip, their random arguments were rather interesting. She later left them when they were making the finishing touches and wandered inside the penthouse, brushing her hands on the refined walls like it was something very delicate, adoring every detail. She wondered why Percy would want to stay in a rundown apartment when he can clearly live in something like this.

She's been doing it out of habit lately, thinking about Percy. A lot. She just couldn't get him out of her head. And even if she tried to forcibly not think of him, one way or another, she'll still end up thinking about him. It was just one twisted cycle. First, he'll pop into her mind completely out of nowhere. Then, she'll try to get him out of her head. When she does succeed, she'll wonder how she did it. And after that, she'll just end up backtracking through her previous thoughts and lodge on him again.

It's like deep down in her brain, behind a red curtain in a little dark room with dimly lit candles, someone was secretly manipulating her every thought; a little Percy, with a very cute but slightly evil voice of a chipmunk, constantly saying things like "Annabeth, you are to think of nothing else but actual sized Percy! Hi-hi-hi!". _Yep! I've officially lost it. Could someone please help me get to the asylum? Straitjacket optional._

She was pretty sure that having another voice in your head was grounds for insanity, but she has accepted long ago the fact that she was crazy. She just has to convince herself that it's alright to be crazy as long as she doesn't let it/him drive her nuts. But there was absolutely no use in fighting it/him, so now, she just openly welcomes it/him. It was one of those 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' circumstances.

After that night (or early morning) of the party, she and Percy went back to their usual routine of good-natured banter and easy attitude when in each other's company, completely forgetting (forcibly, that is) their second almost-kiss. They haven't seen each other since then, and with all the time she had with herself, Annabeth decided to finally assess her feelings. She could figure out anything in the world that required logic in a matter of seconds like solving a Rubik's cube under ten seconds or finishing the newspaper crossword in less than ten minutes. But when it came to her emotions, well, it took her three days to sort them out this time around. Her predicament was a bit more complicated this time.

The last time she did mull over her emotions was when she had -still have- feelings for… Luke. His name still lingered in her mind, leaving that same bittersweet thickness on her heart when he left her back in San Francisco. He had always been there for her, helping her through thick and thin. He was her crying shoulder, her rock. (That made it sound like they were a married couple, but that's how it really was between the two of them.) When she was lonely, he was there for company. When she was troubled, he was there for guidance. When she was jovial, he was there just for the sake of being there. But one day, he just up and left without a single word, and she didn't hear from him ever since.

For so much of her life, she didn't have anyone to rely on. Everything was constantly changing all the time. With her mother leaving her, and then Luke, everything always fell apart almost immediately. Another reason she wanted to be an architect was so that she can build something permanent, something that could last years and even ages. She _hated _it when people let her down, when things were just temporary.

All she ever did was wait her entire life; wait for her mother to notice her, wait for the opportunity for her to finally fit in, wait for her big break to make a name for herself. She can't go through all of it again, not when her life finally seemed to come together. Of course, that's just wishful thinking on her part.

As everything looked as though they have finally clicked into place, Minerva comes back into the picture and ultimately complicates Annabeth's plight with her rather iniquitous affairs. And now even Luke has returned, confusing her emotions even more and even right to the brink of self-combustion. (Not that that was possible, but there's just too much inner turmoil one could handle.) They already left her once, couldn't it stay that way? Couldn't they just leave her _permanently _alone? Why was it that everything had to be temporary, even them staying out of her life. She has always known that life was unfair, but it appeared to be that the fates are especially cruel to her.

_Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us. _Annabeth was most definitely not amongst that majority. Couldn't Oscar Wilde have just said that it was a good thing for everyone? That way, she could at least have better expectations in life and not just waiting for her next undoing.

She continued strolling down the hallway and walked past each room, ruminating over the same musings over and over again. Bianca told her that there were two main bedrooms and one guest room, each room having a respective bathroom with one separate master bathroom placed at the end of the hallway. There were other various smaller rooms which included, much to Annabeth's pleasure, a mini-library.

She was particularly headed to that very room. But as she reached the room, she noticed that the door was slightly cracked open. Slowly peering inside, she whisper-yelled, "What the _hell _are you guys doing?"

The four boys jumped and quickly turned around to face her. The other three smiled cheekily at her as one of them promptly fainted with a loud _Thud!_

"Holy sh-"

* * *

Me: So, yeah. A little more background on the characters. Winter Break will only consist of 3 chapters, but I might add one or two more if necessary. I already have drafts, but I'll still need to proofread them. I'll be able to post the next chapter by next week since it's... WINTER BREAK! Oh, yeah! Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Anyway! I also need ideas for the prank they're gonna do on Thalia. And don't hesitate to tell me ideas you want to be in the story. I've already considered tons of the ideas you guys have told me, and you'll be able to read them pretty soon.

Oh, and I want your opinions! I still haven't decided on a very particular detail regarding a character, so what better way to decide than ask for the readers' opinion! Right? Right? Anyway, what do you guys think is better, Luke being a year older than them (17) or being of the same age (16)? Answer in a review or PM me.

Well, that's it. You know the drill. Review!


	16. Sophomore Winter Break 2

Me: Should I be saying sorry? I'm not late with the update, am I?

Annabeth: How many times do I have to tell you that no one cares! You're just a conceited -insert species of choice-.

Me: Well, you're a conceited bi... bisexual female dog!

Annabeth: -facepalm- -facepalm- -facepalm- ... -facepalm- -facepalm- -facepalm- ... -facepalm- -facepalm- -facepalm- ...

Grover: Is she gonna stop anytime soon?

Percy: 14, 15, 16. I don't think so. She's on her way to a new record. 26, 27, 28...

Me: Wow. She's redder than Rudolf's nose. Ahem... ANYWAY! Before anything else, I want to thank you all for your opinions, though it seemed like you all had the same idea. No one, and really no one, said that Luke should be 16. Weird. ;) Anyway, **I have another question. See AN below for details.**

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to **P B and J**! Here's the birthday present you were asking for. And this is also my advance christmas gift to you all! I won't be able to update until maybe the 27th or so. So, I guess I should greet you all now a very Merry Christmas!

Next, I'm sorry, but the next few chapters will most probably be of poor quality. Like this one. It didn't turn out so well. Far from what I hoped for. Yeah... In spite of winter break, I'm still somewhat busy with personal stuffs, and therefore lack time and inspiration. I'm not having a block. But really, I have no inspiration as of the moment. So, sorry to disappoint for my fail-writing.

Oh, and this chapter is my lame attempt to a colorful descriptive narrative. I overused so much adjectives and adverbs and idioms and figures of speech and whatnot. FAIL. I need more practice at this kind of stuff.

And the last scene is like an EPICFAIL. My very first one. Suuuccckkksss...

Anyway, here it is!

Percy: 63, 64, 65...

Grover: Holy sh-

* * *

**Sophomore Winter Break 2: -_it._ Whatever _it _is.**

* * *

"-it." Percy raised an eyebrow at Annabeth. He's never heard her curse before. Actually, on second thought, as far as he knew, she had a mouth next to a sailor's. A pirate to be more specific. But he's never heard her utter the 'S' word until now. But what did he know. For all he knew, she was probably swearing in her mind colorfully. Probably even more colorful than Rainbow Ponies. And that alone was already quite a feat in itself.

"Is he alright?" she asked, quickly kneeling next to Grover, and out of instinct, instantly checked for a pulse. It was one of the first-aid skills they were taught in Girl Scout. Your first priority in such an event is to check for life signs and try your best to preserve it. Preserve as in to save, and not like what you do with dead fish. Unless you're a psycho butcherer, then you'll probably take the unconscious bodies to your secret slaughter house with hooks hanging from the ceiling, where you'll laugh maniacally as you chop the bodies to large chunks of meat and chuck the bony parts to your food-deprived Rottweilers.

Annabeth inwardly shuddered at her slightly creepy thought. (And yes, that still only ranked as slightly creepy, considering all the lecherous thoughts that have already been imprinted in her mind.)

"Yeah. He does that all the time. You just completely freaked him out, that's all," Percy replied, waving off her concern. And as if to reinforce his point, Grover moaned.

"Foood…" Annabeth's eyes widened and the others just chuckled at her surprise. Finally accepting the fact that nothing was wrong, she turned her attention to the other three occupants of the room. They were squatted on the floor, forming a semicircle and working on-

"What is _that_?" she asked suspiciously. She stood up and eyed the contraption. "And what the hell are you doing with Thalia's cake?"

"You'll see," Nico grinned, looking up from a large book he was reading. Then he repeated in a dark husky tone, "Oh, _you'll see_."

Annabeth grimaced at the mischievous glint in his eyes, knowing something ineffably wrong was bound to happen. Lastly, she turned to Judd and asked, "Do I even want to know?"

"Not really," he replied nonchalantly. "He's smiling. That alone should scare you."

"Right…" Annabeth just stood there for a while, slightly perturbed as she watched the trio work on what seemed to very much look like a bomb. She couldn't help but be astonished as they worked intuitively. To the best of her knowledge, all three of them were -for lack of a better term- dunderheads. "Should I be worried?"

"Nope," Percy replied, popping the 'p'. "Just make sure you stay away from Thalia when she blows the candles." Then they started laughing to themselves, shaking their heads.

"Blows. That was a good one," Nico said and gave Percy a fistbump. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Hey, Annabeth. Wanna play a game?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Okay." Nico rubbed his hands together, a smirk on his face. "Let's have some fun."

Judd grinned, quickly catching on. "This beat is sick."

Percy rolled his eyes, but went with the flow. "I wanna take a ride."

"On your disco stick!" they all shouted, laughing.

Annabeth sighed, trying to hide her smile. _What a big bunch of nincompoops._

She looked around, taking the opportunity to study the room. Shelves of books lined the walls, and there were two desks made out of rich cherry wood at the two corners with computers and black leather office chairs. Plush beanbags were scattered all over the polished wooden floor, the boys reclined on a few. It was an impressive layout, to say the least.

As much as she wanted to stay (which wasn't really much, considering the company she'd have to put up with), she didn't want to stick around to get in trouble. God only knows what kind of mess the boys will get her into. _Sometimes I wonder how the species survives, _she thought, mentally shaking her head. Then again, if the world didn't end on 2012, with the existence of male breeds like the ones currently occupying the room, life as we know it will most likely end by 2020.

"So, I guess I'll just leave you guys to it then."

"You're not going anywhere," Percy warned, standing up to block her path.

"Oh?" Annabeth replied, stubbornly placing her hands on her hips. "And who's gonna stop me?"

"Me."

She raised an eyebrow and let her eyes wander up and down his body. She wasn't checking him out. Per se. "You and what army? Army of the living dead? Or an army of Life-sized Zombiefied-Barbie Clones?"

Percy grinned, completely unfazed. "Nah. The army of the living dead is Nico's. And an army of Life-sized Zombiefied-Barbie Clones is more of Judd's taste."

"Hey!" Judd protested.

"Oh, admit it. It's true. You have a strange fetish for Barbie," Nico interjected. Judd just shrugged.

Percy continued, "As for me, I don't need an epic army to take you down. No, it will just be me and my awesome kickass evil Jedi powers!" Then Percy said in his best imitation of Darth Vader, "The force is with me."

Annabeth was surprised by the sudden jest that she made the weirdest sound. Ever. "Hwsckemf!" Her hands flew to her mouth to cover anything else embarrassing that could come out. _What the hell was that? _She was trying to laugh but ended up snorting(?).

The room was completely silent, all three boys staring at her with bewildered eyes, "WTF?" written on their foreheads. Figuratively, of course. Then the next second, they were all doubled on the floor rolling and laughing hysterically. Judd was clutching his stomach, tears forming in his eyes, while Nico smacked the floor like the crazy bum that he was.

"Oh… God… What… was… _that_…" Percy breathed in between laughs.

Annabeth was lying on her back, trying her best to hold in her laughter. She playfully nudged Percy who was also laid down right next to her. "Oh, shut up."

Percy shifted and inclined his head to look at Annabeth. "That was _very _attractive."

"Har har. _Very_ funny."

"You sound like a pirate, mate."

"Oh, really?" Annabeth turned her head to look directly at him and snap back with some witty remark. But as soon as she noticed how close their faces were, every train of thought flew right out of her ear. Her heart started pumping like a freight train while her brain melted into a big pile of brain goo. Lately, conversations with him were becoming harder and harder as her brain continued to turn into mush more and more. If this continued, she will be supernaturally transformed into Patricia Star, the long lost sister of Patrick.

And that thought alone is enough for her to be chucked down to Bikini Bottom.

_Stupid Nickelodeon and their mindless moronic shows._

_But you still love watching them._

_Shut up!_

If it wasn't weird enough that she was talking to herself, she actually wanted to kill her conscience. But she can't, because that would be a form of suicide. And suicide is a form of murder (sort of), and is therefore illegal (sort of). And now, she was having a heated argument with herself if suicide is indeed illegal or not, considering the fact that not only was she the victim, but also the assailant. It was a tedious cycle of straining thoughts. What else was new.

But the weirdest of it all? With all her subconscious warfare of thoughts with herself (that didn't sound crazy _at all_), she was still physically petrified at the sight of Percy's face.

With the close proximity, she could easily distinguish the flecks of dark blue in his eyes, giving them so much dimension that they seemed like they were ocean deep. They were fairly hypnotizing, like two lustrous orbs of emerald glistering in starlight, and she felt herself being slowly pulled in like a moth being drawn to a flame. It wasn't the perfect simile, since moths die if they go to a flame. Meh, whatever. Not _all _similes have to be precise.

But then again, she was somewhat aware that _he _was going to be the death of her. So, yes. It was actually the perfect simile.

She wanted to tear her gaze away, but his eyes were swirling with so much emotion that she couldn't help but sway in the intensity of it all. It was practically narcotic. Obsessed, that's what she was. She felt like she was drowning as her breath shallowed, tidal waves of passion crashing down on her time and time again. But she wouldn't want it any other way. She _wanted _to drown in those eyes. She _wanted _to drown into _him_.

_God, I sound like a pathetic, lovesick, trying-hard poet. _Yep, that was indeed what she was.

She was patently aware of his breath on her lips. It was sort of minty and salty, just like the sea. Just like how she has always imagined. When did she imagine it? She couldn't even remember doing so. It was somewhat a subconscious thought.

Gradually, she moved her gaze down his nose (which was perfectly symmetrical, she noted) and to his lips, and she did her best to not lick her own lips at how tempting they looked. They were slightly open and _very _inviting. They seemed soft... and chewy. Like... marshmallows. Pink marshmallows. _Pink marshmallows? Seriously? _(The first thing that actually came to her mind was bubblegum. But the thought of wanting to chew his lips was rather disturbing.) She wanted to taste them. Just once. Just _this _once. The repercussions of that action didn't matter to her at the moment. She just badly _wanted _to taste them. To feel them. To feel _him_.

His lips upon her lips. It would be the sweetest sin.

_Oh, great. Now, you're quoting Jessica Simpson. Snap out of it, you sap!_

She ignored that small part of her mind screaming at her. It was so small, she barely noticed. But still, in this surreal fugue state, she knew deep down -like way, way down (like down to the tip of her toes)- that if they didn't get their bearings working soon, they'll do something so stupid (like kiss and make out on the floor in front of their friends) that will not only sever their friendship, but also the others'. There's a fine line between friendship and… whatever their relationship's developing into. It's a delicate wall that they shouldn't breach.

She knew it.

He knew it.

They both knew it.

But neither of them seemed to care as of the moment. Their consciences were far too gone for them to be concerned about the consequences and feel any qualm. It was up to whoever were out there that could save them from their conundrum.

Too bad they were too busy rolling on the floor and laughing their butts off.

Save for the one that involuntarily saved them the last time. How convenient was it that he saves them again this time. Cliché? Not really.

A loud groan pierced the thick barrier of tension in the air like a bullet lancing its way through a thin glass window and shattering it. "Ugh…"

Regaining their sense of self-control, both of their bodies stiffened. Just like how the walls of Jericho fell from the loud playing of trumpets, the wall of fervor separating Percy and Annabeth came crumbling down from the sound that could only be described as an out-of-practice trumpeter playing a rusty trumpet that is hereby known as Grover's grousing.

This was -What? The fourth time? Fifth? Sixth time?- they were in this particular situation. And how long were they staring at each other anyway? Half an hour? An hour? It was highly unlikely since just a second ago, Judd and Nico were still laughing. They couldn't have been possibly laughing for _half an hour_, let alone a_ full hour._ Possible, but highly unlikely. It must have been just a few seconds. But damn, it sure felt like forever.

It was an incredible moment, to say the least, despite the lingering desire to jump each other. It was utterly amazing how many things were shared in a moment, yet not a word was uttered. Annabeth now came to terms with what she would've thought before completely farfetched. The eyes are indeed the window to the soul.

They stood up and straightened, immediately convening and forming a circle with Judd and Nico around Grover's limp form. They purposefully ignored any more eye contact. They've already had enough, and just a little more would be far too much for them to handle. They've seen everything in each other's eyes; how much desire, confusion, pain, passion, pleasure, _feeling _was present in that single glimpse. But behind the veil of emotions, there were still so many strange and unknown secrets waiting to be unraveled. And it just goes to show how much they didn't know each other well enough for them to delve even deeper. Despite that invisible cord connecting them, there was still so much to learn. So much to figure out. And absolutely not enough to share in a moment's fleeting glance.

They _really _needed talk about _it._

Whatever _it_ was.

Oh, who were they kidding. They'll just continue beating around the bush like they have been doing so. After all, they were playing a precarious game. A game of cat and mouse. And whether it was because of dilemma and deceit or pain and plight, neither were willing to back down.

But that's for them to figure out another time.

"Grover, you okay?" Judd asked, lightly tapping Grover by the shoulders.

Grover's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he muttered, "Food?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yep. He's fine."

"You okay?" Judd repeated, ignoring Nico. "Are you hurting?"

"Food…" Grover trailed off, dozing off again.

"Dude, keep it together." Nico slapped him in the face once. Twice. Thrice.

His eyes snapped open and shot up into a sitting position. "Wha- what happened?"

"Are you feeling okay?" Judd asked him for the third time, still holding him by the shoulders for support. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Actually, I feel extremely great!" he replied sarcastically, grinning with no humor. "Aside from the fact that my face feels like it has been slapped _three _times." He glared at Nico, who was smiling sheepishly.

"Well, I had no choice. You were conking out. Sure, I could've kicked you in the groin, but you still want to have kids, right?"

"In that case, thank you _so_ much for your consideration and thoughtfulness for my future kids. I won't forget to tell them the story of how their uncle Nico almost razed my only tool to reproduce." The others stared at him with mouths wide open, disbelieving his sudden bluntness and vulgarity. Grover's eyes widened at his mistake. "Oh, wait… That sounded wrong."

"Ya think?" Percy exclaimed. It was Grover's turn to smile sheepishly. "Well, other than you being cranky, we're glad you're fine. Your head took quite a blow."

Everyone's minds were clearly in the gutter because they started laughing like there was no tomorrow. "Cow patties. Something is _so _wrong with us," Judd remarked.

As they calmed down, Annabeth asked amusedly, "Cow patties?"

Judd shrugged. "It was the first thing that popped into my head."

She shook her head then stood up, straightening her shirt and brushing her pants. "Well, I better get going before any of you pollute my already contaminated brain."

"You won't rat us out, will you?" Nico asked hopefully.

"Rat who out?" she replied, smiling knowingly. Nico just grinned in thanks. "See you guys later."

Annabeth stepped out of the door and was about to close it when Percy suddenly slipped out of the narrow space, closing the door behind him. "I wanted to talk to you," he whispered.

"Oh?" she asked indifferently. She was glad that her voice didn't falter as she started to inwardly panic. She crossed her arms on her chest while making sure that her face was completely still and nonchalant.

What did he want to talk about? Sure, she's sorted out her feelings, but she hasn't somewhat figured out yet _what_ exactly her feelings were. She just, well… sorted them out. And after _that _little episode just a moment ago, she wasn't quite ready yet to talk to him about anything remotely concerning her emotions.

She watched Percy as he ran a hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous. Why was he nervous? Was he actually inclined to talking about… _them_? Well, whatever _them _was. It was all too confusing these past few weeks.

"I wanted to talk to you about-" _Talk about what? Us? No! No, no, no…_

"No!" Annabeth screamed. Percy took a step back at her sudden outburst and was immensely confused. What did he do now?

"Sorry," she muttered, ducking her head down. Percy blinked. Girls are _so_ confusing. And they say they aren't complicated. That's such a bunch of bull...

Annabeth's cheeks flushed as the hysteria started to subside. She let her hands fall to her side, embarrassed for causing a scene. And as if on cue, Judd, Grover, and Nico opened the door with questioning looks on their faces. And not a second later, Bianca and Ruby appeared in the hallway with the same confused looks. "What's going on?" Ruby asked, holding a large wooden spoon.

Annabeth felt her moxie flow through her veins, and she held her head high. She was getting herself out of this chagrin, even if it was the last she ever did. Hopefully not though. "Sorry. I was just telling Percy here that it was a bad idea to wake up Thalia now." Yep, it was a foolproof cover.

"Wha-" Percy started, but Annabeth shot her a look that said 'go along with it'. "Uh, yeah. I guess it's still too early, huh? He-he." He laughed nervously, and Annabeth mentally facepalmed. _Way to go, Seaweed Brain._

"Riiiggghhhttt…" all the others drawled as Ruby retorted.

"Oh, really? I think you already did a very good job at that,_ Annie_, for having your voice be heard all over the place." Everyone else stiffened in realization. Annabeth wanted to strangle Ruby for not only calling her 'Annie', but for also ruining their foolproof (not!) stunt.

Just to make sure, Bianca quietly opened the room to Thalia's room and peeked inside. "Actually, she's still snoring like a mountain lion. You'd think she's hibernating."

Everyone sighed and visibly relaxed. And Annabeth was the most thankful for being let off the hook. Ruby shrugged, "Whatever. C'mon, let's just finish and be done with it."

Bianca nodded, closing the door to Thalia's room. She was already on her way back to the kitchen when a thought suddenly struck her. Quickly turning on her heel, she stormed towards the four boys. She pointed an accusing finger at them. "_What_ the hell are you guys doing in there? And _why_ didn't you tell me you're already here?"

"We were just hiding our surprise for Thalia, and y'know, we didn't want to disturb you while you were busy in the kitchen," Nico replied innocuously. It seemed he's had too much practice lying to his sister.

Bianca narrowed her eyes at them. She pointed two fingers at her eyes, then pointed them at the boys. "I'm watching you," she said forebodingly. Nico just rolled his eyes. As immature as he was, sometimes he wonders who's more mature between him and his sister.

"Yeah, yeah. Scoot," he replied, shooing his sister away. Bianca started walking backwards, still watching them with narrowed eyes, before disappearing around the corner.

"Now tha-" Grover started, but Nico silenced him with the universal 'Shh' sign by pressing a finger on his lips.

"Wait," he said. He pointed a finger at the corner where Bianca went. And sure enough, a second later, her face peeked out, looking at them with discerning eyes. She repeated her previous gesture, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then pointing it back at the boys. When she was finally out of sight, Nico stuck his tongue out.

"I'll cut that tongue of yours!" Bianca yelled without looking. Nico quickly drew back his tongue, obviously affected by the threat.

Annabeth was a little amused at the exchange. The two siblings were obviously close for them to know each other that well. In a way, she was a bit jealous. What she had was two annoying brats as brothers, and all they ever did was give her a migraine time and time again. But she loved them nonetheless.

"Anyway!" Nico clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention. "We're done!"

"Yep," Judd said. "Operation this-will-most-likely-end-badly is officially a go!"

Annabeth chuckled at their obnoxiousness. She can't believe she's spending so much of her time with them as company. Judd and Nico went back inside the mini-library.

Before joining the other two, Grover probed, "Percy?"

"Just a sec," Percy replied, looking at Annabeth. Grover shifted his gaze from Percy to Annabeth, then back to him. Annabeth noticed something flicker in his eyes before he replied.

"Okay." He went back inside, closing the door behind him and leaving Percy and Annabeth alone in the hallway.

Silence.

_Hey awkward silence, it's been a while, hasn't it?_

"Uh, so..." Annabeth trailed off after a long pause. She was completely speechless, just like how she's been acting lately around him. "I should probably help Ruby and Bianca finish up."

It was as clear as crystal that she was telling him that she didn't want to talk. But that was expecting too much, since she was talking to a clueless dolt after all.

"Hey, are you okay? You just-"

His cluelessness was sometimes adorable. Other times, like right now, it's just simply exasperating. "_What_?" she snarled, cutting him off. "I just _what_?

That did it. Percy clenched his fists as the frustration finally welled up inside of him. "Look, I-"

"I don't need your pity," she growled.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _me_? I think the proper question is what's wrong with _you_." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself!"

"Well, _obviously_ you can't! You can't even tell me what's wrong!"

"I don't need you constantly breathing down my neck!"

"I am _not_ constantly breathing down your neck!"

"Then what do you call what you're doing right now!"

"You know what? _Fine_! Whatever! I can't believe I was even concerned about you for a second!"

"_Fine_, because it's nothing that _concerns_ _you_!" she spat harshly. _Lies!_ "Now, I suggest that you go back there-" she pointed at the door of the mini-library. "-and finish whatever you guys are doing. And I'm gonna go back to the kitchen and help Ruby and Bianca before Thalia wakes up. That's what we're supposed to do. Let's not... fool around and mess with it," she muttered as she turned on her heel and marched off, leaving a confused Percy in the wake of her fury.

He wasn't confused at what just happened, even though he wasn't so sure why they were yelling at each other in the first place. They just started screaming for no reason about something so... effing trivial. It was so stupid. Not something that was new to him, but Annabeth went along with it, so something was obviously wrong.

But that was still not what confused him. He was perfectly aware of the growing tension between them. And all of it just exploded at the both of them. It was like an explosive. You never know when it'll explode, but when it does, it does one hell of a damage. It was a bit frustrating though, because he had no idea to what the cause was. It was just... there.

But what he was really confused of was what he was feeling. He wasn't _that _dumb to not realize the cryptic message beneath her words. And he wasn't sure if he was relieved or angered. But he was sure he felt guilty. Why? He also didn't know. He probably didn't even want to know. It was all just too confusing. One moment, they were staring deep at each other's eyes, discovering secrets yet to be revealed. The next moment, they were going at each other's throats. And this wan't like their usual bickering. No, this was indeed very new. To say the least, this was their first real fight.

How they'll get back on good terms? Percy doesn't even want to think about it as of the moment. He was too confused at the sudden turn of events.

"_Fine_," Percy hissed to no one in particular.

If that's how she wants to play it, then so be it.

After all, they were just players.

After all,_ it_ was all just a game.

* * *

Me: So, yeah. Failed attempt. I probably won't try anything else like this ever again. But please tell me what you thought, and what I could do to improve.

And I've officially changed plans. Winter Break will now consist of 4 chapters. Unless I think of adding one more. Which will be most likely what I'll do. We'll see how it turns out.

Now, on to my next question! It's about Luke's character again. I guess these constant questions are dead giveaways that he's gonna make his appearance soon. ;) So, what do you guys think he's character should be like, a full-of-himself jerkhole or a charming all-around-warm guy? Same as before, tell me what your answer is in a review, or if you have any thoughts and ideas to share, PM me. :D

Annabeth: -facepalm- -facepalm- -facepalm- ...

Percy: 142, 143, 144...

Grover: She's really doing it! She's really doing it!

Me: Wow... Anyway, please review even if I obviously don't deserve it. Let's go for 500, shall we? Oh, and the 500th reviewer gets a virtual Dr. Pepper! :D :D :D


	17. Sophomore Winter Break 3

Me: Hey yo! So... It's been awhile, huh? Like 14 months while... Heh. Hehe...

Annabeth: I believe this isn't the right time for you to be laughing.

Me: Ah. I guess you're ri-

Percy: Oi! Wazzup, ya dawgs. We're baaaccckkk...! And guess what, we're making a come back! -gets hit- Ouch! What was that for?

Annabeth: You're taking too much line-time.

Percy: Huh? But-

Grover: Line-time? Don't you mean screen-time?

Annabeth: Even though we're on screen, technically, we're still just a bunch of lines composed of words and punctuations here and there.

Grover: -nod- I see your point. We shouldn't be taking too much, especially not some useless Percy-lines.

Percy: Ehh... But-

Annabeth: Just shut it. And you! You're just trying to increase your word count, aren't you?

Me: Wha- How- No way! How could you even say that! A- Anyway! I'm supposed to be making my comeback here, but thanks for stealing all my line-time! Tsk!

Percy: Hey, how about-

Me: So, as I was saying... It's been awhile, everyone! And honestly, I have no acceptable excuse. The truth is, it's been reeeaaally busy here for me. I never find enough time to write, let alone set aside some to think about the story itself. But like I said, THIS IS A COMEBACK! Uh-huh-uh-huh.

Grover: I like it!

Me: Uh-huh-uh-huh.

Percy: That's the-

Me: For now, here's a chapter that I had lying around since a year ago. After some editing and rewriting, here's where it got. Tell me what you think, 'kay?

Percy: He-

* * *

**Sophomore Winter Break 3: Some Percy-time.**

* * *

"Boo-yah!" Nico exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air as he got another spare. We've been hitting gutters and a few spares all game, the one and only strike coming from Annabeth. No surprise there. She kept on blabbing about trajectory and force earlier, telling us exactly where to aim and how hard we should toss the balls. We just kept on nodding anyway even though we didn't understand a thing. After all, we were supposed to have fun, not take extra Physics lessons

"Take that, Pinecone Face!" Nico taunted, pointing his finger at Thalia. She quickly took her shoe off and threw it directly at his face which he narrowly avoided by an inch. "Hey! Watch i- gaaahhh…!"

Nico didn't get to finish what he was saying as Thalia tackled him down to the floor. For a lithe girl, she sure was as strong as our linebackers.

I sighed. We were going to get kicked out if they kept this up.

"Guys! Come on! Cut it out!" Bianca stood from her seat and tried to break them apart. "Thalia, I don't think my dad will appreciate it very much if you killed my brother in public. And Nico, you wouldn't want everybody in school calling you a wuss for hitting a girl."

Thalia and Nico, who both had their hands on _Nico_'s hair (WTH?), paused and looked at her for a second before going at it again. Yep, we're definitely going to get kicked out. Here's to hoping that we don't get thrown to jail! Hah. Yeah, right.

"Shouldn't we be helping out?" Annabeth asked from her seat.

Ruby waved off her concern. "Nah, she can handle them. Grover, I believe it's your turn," she said. Grover went and grabbed his ball. (You know, if I told you that 'Grover went and grabbed his _balls_', it would've totally given the wrong message. Propar speling ees esenchal four yor wel beeing.)

The game continued, and Thalia eventually stopped clobbering Nico when it was gladly pointed out that he had enough bruises to show to the world that he got beat up by a girl. Good thing it's winter break, or else he'll never hear the end of it if everyone in school found out about it.

"Man, you got beat up by a girl," Grover delightfully told Nico, and he just grunted in response.

"I let her beat me up. It's her birthday after all," he arrogantly replied as he sat down, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "The only reason for you to let yourself get beaten up that badly is if you're a masochist. You look like a bowling ball was thrown at you. And those things weigh a ton."

"They weigh _fifteen_ _pounds_, Seaweed Brain. How are you able to carry them if they weigh a _ton_. I assure you, you're not that strong." _Fifteen _bucks to whomever guesses who said that. Nah, just kidding. I'll lose all my money considering I'm pretty sure you all know who.

"But I am that awesome." I winked, and Annabeth rolled her eyes. "And it was a figure of speech, oh wise one," I mock-bowed with the hand-gesture and all.

She narrowed her eyes and gave me her classic you're-gonna-get-it-now glare. She was about to say something when Bianca cut her to it. "Guys, _please_, not now. We don't need you two trying to kill each other here, too."

"You know who reminds of a bowling ball? Bessie," Judd interjected. Everybody groaned. We already knew where this was going, but Annabeth was too innocent to get it. And cue her asking.

"Why?"

Judd grinned and rubbed his hands together. "'Cause she's used to being picked up, fingered, and banged down an alley."

Ruby smacked him upside the head muttering "perverted sicko" as we laughed. Except for Annabeth, that is. "I don't get it."

Everyone stopped laughing and stared at her disbelievingly.

"Seriously?" Thalia asked incredulously.

Annabeth looked completely frustrated. I knew for a fact that one thing she hates is not knowing. "So what if she's picked up, fingered, and banged down an alley?"

That started a new round of hysterics. Nico fell off his seat with Grover falling on top of him, and I was clutching my stomach from laughing so hard. I mean, what would you do if someone said _that _with a very serious face.

Annabeth's face turned red from anger and embarrassment.

Thalia, recognizing that look, wiped an imaginary tear and said, "Think about it. _Seriously_, think about it."

Seeing Annabeth's expression, I raised a finger and said, "Wait for it."

Her eyes suddenly widened as understanding dawned on her. "Oh."

Everyone bursted into fits of laughter as Annabeth covered her face with both hands. Our howls echoed over the sounds of bowling balls rolling and pins toppling over. Other people were already staring at us like we were completely whacked, but no one among us really minded them, because secretly, we already knew we were one heck of a group of badass wackos.

"But do you know what's even worse than Bessie?" Nico asked after we all regained a bit of our composure. We're not _that _crazy to lose all our dignity. On second thought…

"What?" we all asked at the same time. Under different circumstances, we would've all freaked about speaking in unison, but we were all too high from laughing.

"Us, 'cause our minds are in the gutter!" Nico exclaimed, and the laughter started again. Ah, some classic pun. If you didn't get it, then too bad. You are not a certified badass wacko.

That's how it went for the rest of the afternoon, us fooling around with each other and ROFL-ing. That was until we were _kindly asked_ (more like forced) to "leave the premises". No one actually cared though since we completely snubbed the game anyway and didn't bother finishing it.

"So…" Nico drawled as we rounded a corner. "What now?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. Thals?"

I didn't get a response so I turned around to look at her. She was with Annabeth, trailing a few ways behind the group and having what seemed to be a very serious conversation. And I knew better than to bother the both of them. It was sort of an unspoken rule. If ever anyone wanted to talk privately, they'd just keep a safe unhearing distance from the others. It was a good system, and a good sign of camaraderie. And yes, I just said a five-syllable word. My vocabulary is quite impeccable, if I do say so myself.

"It's still early, so I say we head to the movies!" Bianca declared. "Anyone up for it?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Whatever."

"I call aisle seat!"

* * *

A huge mass of people made its way out of the movie theater, the vast majority negatively criticizing the film that was just shown. And among them was a group of high-school students merrily celebrating a friend's birthday.

"Wow. That was…"

"I know, right? How could an adaptation be that bad!"

"And the story was practically written for them already."

"Ryan was pretty hot though. Did you see those abs! They are God's most magnificent creation!" Ruby excitedly told the indifferent Judd as they led the group out of the theater.

"Yeah, yeah… But, you know…" He then leaned in close to her and whispered something in her ear which in turn got her flustered. Judd snickered as he saw her reaction.

"Y- You wish…" she nervously replied and weakly pushed him away.

"Well, I'm glad the two of you are enjoying yourselves in your own world in spite of the fact that we are still very much in hearing distance," Bianca amusingly told them which got the embarrassed teen even more flustered. Bianca then turned to the rest of the group. "I guess next is-"

"Actually," Thalia cut her off. "Dad planned something for dinner. I should head there now before he asks for someone to pick me up."

"But this is supposed to be your celebration!" Grover whined.

"I know. And I'm really thankful to you guys. I really had a lot of fun. With everything that's been going on, I'm glad we get to have a breather, and I wish we could have fun like this all the time." Thalia smiled brightly. "But right now, I'm actually even more glad that dad's making time. And-"

Nico pfft-ed. "We get it already. We don't need some lame 'thank you' speech from you. Just get going." He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, pushing the birthday girl out the door.

"Why, you!"

"Ah! I just fixed my hair!"

Bianca sighed and ignored them. In the end, it will be a hopeless effort to even try and stop them. "Well, I suppose that's that. Are you guys going to head home?"

Ruby shrugged. "I guess so. Unless-"

But Grover interrupted and asked. "Hey, wait… Have you guys seen Percy and Annabeth?"

"Now that you mention it…" They looked back inside the theater but only saw the now-thinning crowd with no signs of their missing companions.

* * *

_Tap, tap, tap…_

Percy ceaselessly walked back and forth along the empty hallway like a restless soon-to-be father. _Ugh! What's taking her so long! No… On second thought, I'm glad she's taking long. Ah, actually… Ugh! Dammit!_

He stopped moving and sighed as he leaned his on the wall next to the door of the ladies' restroom. "Argh… That… Thalia…" he growled, curling his fists.

_"Why not you do just that?" Percy retorted._

_"I need to go. C'mon! All I ask of you is to wait for her," Thalia pleaded. "Please. It's my birthday, after all."_

_"N- No." Percy crossed his arms and avoided eye contact with Thalia's pleading ones. "And why me? You could've asked Ruby or Bianca."_

_"I know you two had a fight. I want you to make up with her," she answered plainly._

_"What happened to 'all I ask of you is to wait for her'?" Then he looked at Thalia, startled. "Wait… How did you know we had a fight?"_

_"Did you seriously think I won't wake up with all that commotion just outside my bedroom?" she asked incredulously, placing her hands on her hips. "Look. Just talk to her."_

_"It's not that easy," Percy replied honestly._

_"You were doing it pretty well awhile ago, oh wise one," Thalia mocked._

_"That was different."_

_"Pray tell."_

_"Ugh. I can't explain it, okay?"_

_"Fine." Thalia sighed understandingly. Percy already felt thankful, when all of a sudden, he was grabbed by the collar. Thalia drew his face close to hers, and Percy gulped seeing her vicious you-are-my-prey stare up close. "You owe me."_

_"Wh- what are you talking about…" he stammered._

_"You know what."_

_"No, I don-"_

_"Birthday. Cake," Thalia uttered each word with vehemence._

_"That wasn't just me!"_

_She narrowed her eyes and added, "On. My. Face."_

_"F- Fine. I get it," Percy answered. Thalia smiled and let go of his shirt. "Jeez. One moment you're all pleading, then the next you're all forceful."_

_"Well, a maiden's got to do what she's got to do."_

_Percy humph-ed in response. "Maiden my a-" he started but stopped when he saw Thalia's challenging glare. "Yes, my maiden!"_

_She made a face and looked at him incredulously. "What kind of a freakin' idiot are you?" She then shook her head and waved her hand, "Well, whatever. I'm going."_

_She was about to walk away when Percy asked her, __"Exactly how will I make up with Annabeth?"_

_Thalia smiled softly at her blockhead of a cousin. "Just be Percy."_

Percy groaned. _'Just be Percy'. Yeah, right! Like it's going to be that simple!_

He closed his eyes and repeatedly banged his head on the wall. "Ugh! What am I gonna do!"

"Exactly the question I wanted to ask you."

Percy's eyes shot open. "Ah! What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" Annabeth placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah… Ah! Nothing! I'm doing nothing! I mean, uhh…" Percy scratched the back of his head. "E-he."

Annabeth stared at him, completely unconvinced. She shook her head and sighed. "Whatever. I'm going."

"W-wait!" Percy stammered.

"What is it now?"

"Ehh… Actually, I need to go to the restroom." And it was the complete truth.

"Huh? Then shouldn't you be at the other side." Annabeth pointed towards the opposite end of the hallway. Then she suspiciously eyed him. "Don't tell me you're trying to peep inside the women's restroom."

"No way! How could you even say that!" Annabeth continued to eye him and Percy looked away cautiously. _Well, sure, the thought did cross my mind. But it wasn't like I was actually going to do it._

Annabeth sighed. "Do whatever you want. It's got nothing to do with me anyway," she huffed arrogantly and walked past Percy.

He clenched his teeth as anger bubbled inside of him. "Why are you acting like this!" he screamed suddenly, susprising even himself.

Annabeth looked back at him, wide-eyed. "Wh-what are-"

"We're supposed to be friends, right? Then whatever concerns you concerns me too, and vice versa, whatever concerns me concerns you, too!"

The blonde blinked. "Huh?"

"Ahh… That sounded confusing… But you get my point!"

"No, I honestly don't. I'm going. I don't want to be seen with someone as embarrassing as you," she answered harshly. But before she could walk away, Percy grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall, hard. "Wh-what do you think you're doing?"

"I don't get you. I don't get you at all," he grumbled as he placed both of his hands on the wall next to her head. "Why do you keep doing this?"

Considering her strength, Annabeth could've easily pushed Percy away. But for some reason, she wasn't able to muster enough at the moment. She absent-mindedly worried how her hands ended up on his chest. She turned her head down. "Let me go."

"Look at me," Percy told her, his voice soft but firm. "Why won't you just come out with it and tell me straight what's going on."

She hesitantly looked at him and her breath hitched as his gaze bore into her. His eyes were full of hurt and fury. The resolves she had all but crumbled in that single moment. "I… I-"

"You're driving me crazy," he whispered, his breath brushing against her lips. He subconsciously noted how dangerously close his face slowly inched towards hers. "I…"

"Percy…"

"Percy! Annabeth!"

Percy jumped away as far as possible from Annabeth, almost sticking and being one with the opposite wall. He watched as Annabeth suddenly took an interest in her shoes. He looked along the hallway as the owner of the voice rounded the corner.

"Ah. There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you two!" Grover walked to them, completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere. "What were you guys doing anyway?"

"Sorry. We needed to use the restroom." Annabeth's eyes widened as she shot a look at Percy. _Ah, crap. That sounded totally wrong. _"I mean-"

"Is that so," Grover mused, unfazed. Then he shrugged, "Well, you two sure took your time. We better get going. The others are already going insane, waiting."

"Yeah, sure." Percy and Annabeth sighed in relief as Grover walked away, humming. For once, they were thankful for their friend's ignorance.

Percy rubbed his forehead, lost in thought. _What just happened…_

He was startled by someone laughing on the opposite side of the wall. Annabeth was covering her mouth, snickering. "Wh-what's so funny?"

Annabeth waved her hand. "I'm sorry. It's just… Somehow, things like this always happen when I'm with you."

Percy scratched the back of his head. "Heh. I guess it does seem that way…"

Annabeth pushed herself off the wall and straightened. She smiled a full smile at Percy's direction. "Well, we should get going."

He watched her walk away, completely dumbfounded. _What… just… happened..._

The answer echoed somewhere in his consciousness.

_"'Just be Percy'? What do you even mean?"_

_"You know, something like a completely spontaneous Percy-event," Thalia winked at him._

* * *

The man remained still as he watched the girl across the street board a taxi cab.

He grunted before grabbing his phone from his crisp suit, pressing for the first speed dial. He tapped his black shoes impatiently on the sidewalk as he waited for the other end to pick up.

_Come on, come on..._

He got more annoyed by the second. Why was he even doing this in the first place? He was supposed to be a security guard, but instead, here he was 'securing a target'. And if only his partner didn't mess up the last time, he wouldn't be here doing the job alone. At this rate, he was also going to end up alone on New Year's Eve.

_Ah, I should be looking for a girlfriend and not following that adolescent girl everywhere._

"Life is so cruel."

"Yes, it very much is," someone answered over the phone as the ringing got cut.

"Ah! Boss! I-"

"Stop dawdling. What is it?" the voice answered harshly.

"Y- Yes! The target is alone now and is on the move."

"Good. That's good," the voice answered. "Then that's it for tonight. You should go home and take a rest. Good work."

The man's eyes widened. He stared at the phone before bringing it back to his ear. "Huh? But-"

"We don't need more mistakes." The man tightened his fist around the phone at his boss' disparaging tone. "We don't want them to suspect us even more."

"Yes, sir," he replied through gritted teeth.

"And besides," the voice continued calmly. The man felt goosebumps run down his spine as he visualized that man's devilish grin. "It's the girl's birthday after all. We should let her be for now."

* * *

Me: Soo... What do you guys think? Did I lose my touch? Well, it should be quite obvious. 14 months. 14 months! Jeez... But I do plan on getting back on track with this story... and I also have some side plans.

I have a few more drafts that need some minor editing. The next chapter will probably be up within the next few weeks. Well, we'll see.

Oh, and if you're a long time follower or a new reader, please review. I want to know how many are still reading this story. I mean, it has been more than a year, and I don't even know if there will still be followers. I'll be frank. Update frequency will be based on the amount of readers.

And, I think that's it.

Annabeth: You're forgetting something.

Me: Huh? What?

Grover: -cough- 600 reviews -cough-

Me: Oh yeah! Shame on me! Shame on me! I have to thank you guys! I mean, seriously. I only asked for 500 the previous chapter, but now we're past 600. That's some milestone for me! So, thank you very much! Well, let's keep going for more, shall we? Review? ;D

Percy: Hey, don't forget about m-


End file.
